Now Reading: NITI Aayog proposes five big reforms for India’s skilling overhaul
-
01
NITI Aayog proposes five big reforms for India’s skilling overhaul
NITI Aayog has called for a major overhaul of India's skilling system, proposing five key reforms as part of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The first reform integrates skill education in schools…
NITI Aayog has called for a major overhaul of India's skilling system, proposing five key reforms as part of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The first reform integrates skill education in schools by introducing General Employability and Entrepreneurship Skills (GEES) from Grade 6 and structured vocational Kaushal Tracks from Grade 9. Currently, fewer than one in 12 secondary schools offer vocational subjects.
The other reforms include stronger public-private partnerships in higher education with industry-aligned programmes and earn-while-you-learn formats, outcome-linked skilling aligned with high-growth sectors like green industries and electric vehicles, an 'Apprenticeship for All' pathway with a unified State Apprenticeship Platform, and structured guidance through pathway clinics and digital tools like MyGuide. System enablers include a Digital Skills Passport and outcomes-based financing.
The government clarified that the report's 8.7 crore NEET youth figure, based on NSS 78th Round data from FY2020-21, should not be seen as unemployment, citing more recent PLFS data. The Rs 600-crore Integrated Scheme in Skilling Architecture (ISSA), announced in Union Budget 2026-27, will fund State Skills Transformation Pilots in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The report addresses a persistent gap: India's skilling ecosystem has long been criticised for low industry linkage and poor employability outcomes. The National Education Policy 2020 already envisioned vocational integration from school level, but implementation has been slow. NITI Aayog's proposal to make apprenticeship a mainstream pathway mirrors successful models in Germany and Japan, though India's formal apprenticeship rate remains below 1% of the workforce. The key test will be how states adopt the unified platform and whether the Rs 600-crore pilot funding is enough to shift from enrolment targets to actual job placement metrics. The next signal is the rollout of the State Skills Transformation Pilots in the five identified states.
Source: businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
