Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047 Report

Why in News?

The report 'Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047', flags women’s participation in the workforce as a key challenge for India’s ambition of becoming a developed country.

• Released by – NITI Aayog.
• Highlights –
  • Skilling alone is not sufficient unless skills translate into sustained employment and economic participation.
  • Women’s participation is identified as a major challenge to India’s developed-country goal by 2047.
• Key finding – Only around 3% of women are in formal jobs.
  • Around 71% of women are either in informal work or in the NEET category.
• Barriers faced by women – These includes
  • Caregiving responsibilities
  • Lack of safe transport
  • Safety concerns
  • Limited mobility
  • High cost of training
  • Limited access to finance
  • Lack of flexible work
  • Social and family constraints
• Many women therefore prefer home-based self-employment, but face difficulties in accessing capital, markets and greater autonomy.

India's skilling landscape

• More than 7.67 crore people have been trained since 2014–15.
• The report argues for shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to targeted skilling based on the needs of different learner and worker groups.
• Around 54.9% of Indians were outside the labour force .
• In the non-agricultural workforce, around 7 crore people receive at least one social-security benefit, while 27 crore receive none.
• Measures proposed for women – “Back to School” – use schools as safe spaces for women to upskill/reskill.
  • “Surakshit Saathi” – proposed PPP-based hostels and transport facilities for women.
  • Greater access to finance and affordable training.
  • Promotion of flexible and safe employment opportunities.

• System-wide reforms – Digital Lifelong Learning Accounts/Skill Passports – portable records of skills and credentials.
  • Greater adoption of the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
  • Skills-first hiring.
  • Outcome-based financing for learner support.

Reference

The Print| Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047 report