Education important for youth to face challenges: Labour minister Santosh Gangwar

By PTI
NEW DELHI: Labour minister Santosh Gangwar on Wednesday acknowledged the importance of education system and the labour market to prepare our young generation to face the upcoming challenges of the world of work.

Gangwar was addressing the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting on Joint Education and Labour & Employment Ministers’ Declaration here on Wednesday, a labour ministry statement said. The meeting was held under the Italian presidency.

While supporting the adoption of the Joint Ministerial Declaration, the Minister emphasised that such an initiative by the member countries shall be very helpful for the overall development and capacity building of the entire young generation, which is rapidly evolving and has now become more challenging due to the pandemic.

“India is strengthening its educational and skilling efforts to ensure quality education from pre-school to senior secondary stage. New National Education Policy, 2020 in India, also aims for reforms in school and higher education systems,” he stated.

He also informed that the government has taken several initiatives for capacity building and skilling of our youth and for employment generation. The National Skill Development Mission is resulting in convergence of skilling efforts across all sectors.

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, enables the youth to take up industry related skill training to assist them in securing better opportunities.

For employment generation in the country, the government is paying up to 24 per cent of wages towards EPF contributions under the Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana for new employees as well as those who lost their jobs in the pandemic and are being re-employed.

Gangwar also stated that the government is sustaining employment and livelihoods by way of its various schemes of employment generation and social security benefits through Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and expansion of ESIC coverage.

He also informed that India has provided new definitions for Gig and Platform workers for providing them social security and also to the workers in the unorganised sector.