Govt plans to offer vocational skill training to 50 crore people by 2022

Centre has evolved a plan to impart training and education in vocational skills to 50 crore people by 2022 to address the critical issue of unemployment, union minister Ashwani Kumar said today.
   
The central government has also decided to set up an Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research with powers to award degrees, and a Bill for the purpose would be introduced in the ensuing budget session of Parliament, the minister of state for science and technology said.
   
The minister was addressing the third convocation of Guru Jambeshwar University of Science and Technology in Hisar.
   
India has a unique opportunity to emerge as a global leader in formulating an inclusive innovation agenda, Kumar said.
   
"We need to develop innovative ways of applying the results and products of research for finding affordable solutions to national challenges," he said.
   
Kumar said that Department of Science and Technology has launched 'Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research' (INSPIRE) to attract bright young minds to creative pursuits of science and build a human resource pool for strengthening and expanding science and technology system.
   
Technology should be used to increase food productivity to meet the demand of a growing population, he said.
   
Scientists cutting across all disciplines need to work to transform agriculture into climate and resource efficient production system for ensuring food security to the increasing population, Kumar added.