Skill Development for a New India Transition from Made in India to Make in India.

Abstract

Conceived in this way, the early planners in India "regard idle or unproductive labour as on the one hand, a curse or a cause of poverty and low living levels and on the other, a potential resource for development" (Myrdal, 1977). Around 1960's Prof.P. C. Mahalanobis has noted that only about 13 million persons (out of a total labour force of 160 million) who worked under government and public authorities or in private organised large-scale enterprise, have employment of the type usual in the advanced counties. This implies that the standard of remaining 147 million who work in household or small scale enterprise are to be developed. Earlier planners pointed out that to meet the needs of economic development "right kind of workers" suitably educated and trained, had to be produced (Streeten and Lipton, 1968). Planning Commission also, assume that the stock of educated and trained people should increase in direct proportion to the increase in net output. By assuming an employment norm of 15 craftsman to every graduate engineer and 3 technicians (engineering diploma holders) for one graduate engineer, requirement for skilled and semiskilled craftsman were estimated (Streeten, 1968). To meet these objectives Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITl s) were establi shed. Several Apprenticeship Schemes were also sponsored by the government "for training semiskilled and skilled workers and middle-level technicians for industry. National Education Commission (1964-1966), popularly known as Kothari Commissionalso stressed the importance of IITs and the Junior Technical Schools and Polytechnics.