Namaskar!

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde ji, Deputy Chief Minister Bhai Devendra Fadnavis ji, Ajit Pawar ji, Shri Mangal Prabhat Lodha ji, all other ministers of the state government, ladies and gentlemen!

The auspicious festival of Navratri is going on. Today is the day wherein we worship Skandamata, the fifth form of Mother Goddess. Every mother wishes that her child is showered with all the joy and fame. This attainment of happiness and fame is possible only through education and skill. On such an auspicious occasion, such a major programme is being inaugurated for the skill development of our sons and daughters of Maharashtra. And for the lakhs of youngsters sitting in front of me who have resolved to move forward on the path of skill development, I must say that this morning has become auspicious in their lives. 511 Rural Skill Development Centres are going to be set up in Maharashtra.

Friends,

Today the demand for skilled youth of Bharat is increasing all over the world. There are many countries where the number of senior citizens is very high! The elderly population is increasing there and trained youth are difficult to find. Surveys conducted in this regard show that 16 countries of the world want to provide jobs to about 40 lakh skilled youngsters. Due to the lack of skilled professionals in these countries, they are dependent on other countries. There are many sectors like construction sector, healthcare sector, tourism industry, hospitality, education and transport where there is a lot of demand in foreign countries today. Therefore, today Bharat is preparing its skilled professionals not only for itself but also for the world.

These new skill development centres that are going to be set up in the villages of Maharashtra will also prepare the youth for opportunities around the world. Skills related to the construction sector will be taught in these centres. Skills related to farming using modern methods will also be taught. Media and entertainment work in Maharashtra is such a massive job. Many centres providing special training regarding this will also be established. Today Bharat is turning into a major hub of electronics and hardware. In such a scenario, skills related to this sector will also be taught at dozens of centres. I would like to congratulate the youth of Maharashtra for these skill development centres and wish them all the best.

And I would also request the government, Shinde ji and his entire team to devote some time towards providing soft-training for their skill development. In which, if our youth get a chance to go abroad, then 10-20 sentences that are used in day-to-day life should also be taught to them. And they should be taught interpreting through AI so that language problems do not arise. These things are very useful for people going abroad. And in this way, those who are already prepared, the companies also recruit them quickly so that they become eligible for the work immediately after going there. So, I would like that certain provisions are made for soft-skills too; online modules should be developed; for the rest of the time these children should continue to give online exams so that they develop a special skill.

Friends,

For a long time, earlier governments neither had the same seriousness nor the same foresight regarding skill development. Our youth had to suffer a lot due to this. Despite the demand in the industry, despite the talent among the youngsters, it had become extremely difficult for the youth to get jobs due to lack of skill development. But our government has understood the seriousness of skill development among the youngsters. We created a separate ministry for skill development, and for the first time in Bharat, there is a dedicated ministry for this single subject, skill, which means there is a new ministry dedicated to the youth of the country. We have allocated a separate budget and have started various schemes. Under the Kaushal Vikas Yojana, so far more than 1 crore 30 lakh youngsters have been given training in various trades. The government has also set up hundreds of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras across the country.

Friends,

Social justice has also gained a lot of impetus due to such skill development efforts. Baba Saheb Ambedkar also had laid great emphasis on skill development of the weaker sections of the society. Baba Saheb's thinking was connected to ground truth. He was well aware that our Dalit and deprived brothers and sisters did not have enough land. To ensure that Dalits, backward classes and tribals got a dignified life, he had laid a great emphasis on industrialization. And the most essential precondition for working in industries is skill. In the past, a large number of these sections of the society were deprived of good work and good jobs due to lack of skills. And today the poor, Dalits, backward and tribal families are benefiting the most from the skill schemes of the Government of India.

Friends,

Mata Savitribai Phule had shown the way to break social barriers for women's education in Bharat. She had an unwavering belief that only those who have knowledge and skills could bring a change in the society. Inspired by Mata Savitribai, the government is also laying equal emphasis on the education and training of daughters. Today, women are being given training through self-help groups in every village. Under the women empowerment programme, more than 3 crore women have been given special training. Now the country is also encouraging farming and various works through drones. For this also, special training will be given to the sisters living in villages.

Friends,

We have such families in every village, that pass on their skills from generation to generation. There is no such village that doesn't have skilled families like the barbers, shoe makers, clothes washers, masons, carpenters, potters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths etc. To support such families, the Government of India has also started the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, which Ajit Dada just mentioned. Under this, the government is providing financial assistance at every level, from training to modern equipment to take the work forward. The central government is going to spend Rs 13 thousand crores on this. I have been told that more than 500 rural skill development centres that are going to be set up in Maharashtra will also take the PM Vishwakarma scheme forward. I would especially congratulate the Maharashtra government for the same.

Friends,

Amidst these efforts for skill development, we also have to think about the areas where enhancing skills will strengthen the country. For example, today in manufacturing, the country needs good quality products; products with zero defects. Industry 4.0 requires new skills. Keeping in mind the services sector, knowledge economy and modern technology, governments will also have to emphasize on new skills. We have to see that manufacturing what kind of products will take us towards self-reliance. We have to promote the skills required to manufacture such products.

Friends,

Bharat's agriculture sector is also in great need of new skills today. Our mother earth has been harmed by chemical farming. To save the earth, natural farming, organic farming is necessary and skills are also required for the same. It is also necessary to add new skills to ensure balanced use of water in farming. We need new skills for processing agri products, adding value to it, packaging it, branding it and making it reach the online world. Therefore, various governments of the country will have to further expand their scope of skill development. I am confident that this awareness regarding skill development will play a huge role in building a developed Bharat in the 'Azaadi Ka Amritkaal'.

I once again congratulate Shinde ji and his entire team and wish them all the best. And those young sons and daughters who have started their journeys on the path of skill, or are thinking about it and want to start, I believe they have chosen the right path. Through their skills, through their abilities, they can give a lot to their families and also to the country. I particularly extend my best wishes to all these young sons and daughters.

Let me share an experience with you. Once I went to Singapore and I had a programme with the Prime Minister of Singapore.  I had a tight schedule. I had a lot of engagements but he insisted to somehow take some time out for him. Since it was the Prime Minister's request, I agreed to make some adjustments. I and our team worked out something, made some adjustments. Now why did he ask me? He wanted to show me the Skill Development Centre in Singapore, which is similar to the ITI we have here and he was showing it to me with much pride. He was saying that he had built it with a lot of love. There was a time when it wasn't socially respectable for the people to join this type of an institute. They felt ashamed. They used to feel ashamed because the child did not go to college and was in this institute instead. Then he said, since this Skill Centre was developed, people from influential families too used to ask me to recommend their kids to get admission here for skill development. And indeed, he paid so much attention to it that its reputation increased. In our country too, it is the duty of the society to enhance the reputation of labour, 'Shramev Jayate', our skilled manpower.

Once again, I heartily congratulate all these youngsters and wish them all the very best. I heartily thank Mangal Prabhat ji and the entire team of Shinde ji since I got the opportunity to come to your event, amidst these lakhs of people; I can see only young people everywhere; and thanks for giving me a chance to meet all those youngsters. 

Namaskar!

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/VJ/IG/AK