India has tremendous potential left unexplored in the rural hinterland and tapping grass-root skills will bring in the next talent revolution, according to K. N. Raghavan, Director General of National Academy of Customs, Indirect taxes and Narcotics (NACIN).

There is huge need to upskill and reskill oneself or have the risk of being left behind in an age where Artificial Intelligence is challenging the statusquo, he said while congratulating fellows of the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode’s inaugural batch of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF – Phase II).

He also emphasised on the importance of practicing sustainability to nullify man’s adverse actions on environment and encouraged the fellows to use their knowledge in improving skillsets creatively and constructively. He expressed belief that the experience will help them foster excellence in policy making and successful implementation at the grassroots level.

The MGNF is a visionary programme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship managed by IIM Kozhikode. It ingrains academic inputs, workshops, mentoring and extensive field immersions at the district level that finally culminates in the award of a Certificate in Public Policy and Management to successful participants.

The Fellows of IIM Kozhikode were posted in Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Nagaland and the NCT of Delhi. The respective State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) also played an important role in supporting the Fellows’ mission of advancing the development of a skilling ecosystem at their districts.

Social projects

IIM Kozhikode Fellows also came up with outstanding social projects to benefit the disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society including Transgender, Tribals, Sex workers, Slum dwellers etc to help them earn an alternative livelihood. It was befitting that the ‘Scroll Tube’ awarded to the Fellows was produced by the members of the Association of Mentally Handicapped Adults (AMHA), in Thrissur, an initiative supported by one of the MGNF Fellows of the Kerala cohort.

Debashis Chatterjee, IIMK Director encouraged the cohort to follow the footsteps of the Mahatma who was one of the most ‘resourceful’ managers known to the world. Through the fellowship, IIM Kozhikode has endeavoured to promote a pool of professionals who can combine conceptual knowledge, pragmatism, soft skills, critical thinking and a sense of purpose to create ground-level impact.”

He also urged the Fellows to adopt the 3 Cs as they move ahead on their career path – Clarity, Compassion and Commitment.

Over the course of the Fellowship, the Kerala cohort of MGNF programme Phase-II drafted the “Policy Recommendations for Kerala’s Skilling Landscape” for presentation to the government. This document explores approaches to address some of the pressing challenges related to skill development, livelihoods and employment within Kerala.

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