New Delhi: A day after the Economic Survey rang alarm bells on India’s “soon-to-recede demographic dividend”, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday turned towards the youth seeking to “energise” them through education, skills and jobs, earmarking as much as Rs 6,200 crore under two schemes.
In his 2017-18 Budget speech, Mr Jaitley said the government plans to launch Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion programme (SANKALP) at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore along with next phase of Skill Strengthening for Industr-ial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) costing Rs 2,200 crore.
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Stating that quality education will energise India’s youth, he said, “In the words of Swami Vivekananda, the education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle for life... is it worth the name?”
His statement comes a day after the Economic Survey 2016-17 pointed out: “India’s soon-to-recede demographic dividend”, stating that the country’s “growth boost from the demographic dividend is likely to peak within the next five years, as India’s share of working age population plateaus”. The Survey had, however, said, “India may not see the sha-rp growth decelerations experienced by the East Asian countries.”
