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The Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, on Friday called on the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to set up sector-specific skill councils in at least 5 to 10 sectors including manufacturing, healthcare and mining.
There is scope to enhance the role of industry in the area of skill development, Mr Mukherjee said in his inaugural address at the CII National Conference and Annual Session 2011 in the capital on Friday.
A few large sustainable skill development initiatives such as the setting up of sector-specific skill councils would contribute to meeting the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) target of 150 million skilled persons, he pointed out.
The theme of CII's annual session this year is ‘Securing the Future: Framework for Inclusive Growth'.
“The success of our strategy for inclusive development and, in fact, the very sustainability of the growth momentum in the coming years depends critically on the availability of skilled manpower,” Mr Mukherjee said even as he lauded the leadership CII was providing to the NSDC.
Inclusive growth
Commenting on inclusive growth, Mr Mukherjee noted that an inclusive development agenda cannot succeed without addressing the issues of corruption in the system and governance failures.
The Finance Minister said that the significant buoyancy in tax collections provides India with the means to bridge the critical gaps that remain in the development efforts, particularly with regard to the welfare of the vulnerable segments of population.
“It is equally important that available public resources are effectively used. We are acutely conscious that if these resources have to bear fruit we have to tackle issues of governance and service delivery,” he said.
Shock-resilient
The Finance Minister highlighted that the Indian economy has become remarkably resilient to both external and domestic shocks.
“It managed to moderate the decline in GDP growth during the global economic downturn and then recovered rapidly in 2010-11. It also took the monsoon failures in the preceding two years in its stride and is now showing robust growth with agriculture production set to record a new high in 2010-11,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Mukherjee today appealed to Mr Anna Hazare to end his hunger strike, which entered the fourth day. The Finance Minister urged Mr Hazare, who is sitting on a fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar in capital, to join the informal committee to make an effective Lok Pal Bill.
“I appeal to Mr Anna Hazare to end the fast and participate in the informal committee,” Mr Mukherjee told reporters on the sidelines of CII event here.
krsrivats@thehindu.co.in
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