India planning to train 400 mn skilled people in few years

London, Aug 4 India is planning to train 400 million skilled people in the next few years under the ambitious 'Skill India' initiative to meet its requirement of skilled labour, India's High Commissioner to the UK Navtej Singh Sarna said.

Sarna, who was the chief guest at a function organised by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here to celebrate India's Independence Day, said "70 years ago, there were many who questioned India's chances of survival, but it had proved them wrong because of values such as inclusivity, simplicity and truth, it followed."

Noting that 50 per cent of India's population is under the age of 25, a huge amount of energy waiting to propel us forward, he said "in the next 7 to 8 years, we are expecting to achieve 99 per cent literacy.

"We are planning to train 400 million skilled people in the next few years under the'Skill India' initiative to meet our requirement of skilled labour. We have set in motion an economic direction with very clear programmes of development answering these particular challenges", he said.

Similarly, 'Digital India' is the programme for a new age, and several other programmes that are aimed to harness India's huge potential.

"India is fortunate to have the Constitution that it has. The men and women who gave us a Constitution displayed unparalleled imagination that kept a huge population of incredible diversity together," Sarna said. The Constitution is not a dead letter but one that kept pace with the changing times.

It has been amended nearly a hundred times but has kept its basic structure, to ensure that the vision of India that existed in 1947 remains to this day. He said today we have to thank all those faceless people who made India the beacon for the world.

Despite all that has been achieved and all that remains to be achieved, India is today a leading example. In all of human history, a democratic experiment of this level has never been done or succeeded.

The economic success and prospects of India are now well recognised by most international organisations like the IMF, the World Bank.

"We have huge challenges of poverty, education and disease, but if we can't face them with our resources, and our survival instincts, not many can," he said.

Noting that India's culture and tradition are priceless, the Chairman of the Bhavan Joginder Sangar said that is what it stands for.

Keith Vaz, the longest serving Asian origin MP in the House of Commons described Joginder Sangar as an "unofficial Ambassador between India and the UK. Referring to Britain's vote to leave European Union, he said: now we have to look to India as main trading partner.

Barry Gardiner the MP said Britain should now forge new relations with Commonwealth Countries, particularly India.

PTI