Education is the propeller of national development. It has the potential to be the primary arsenal in bringing about socio-economic changes. India is the youngest nation in terms of human resource. This demographic advantage can be reaped only if education, skilling and employment opportunities are provided to the young population.
They can become an asset for the nation if provided with the right education and skill development. India is divided into myriads of class and caste divide; it needs to focus on an inclusive growth mechanism to utilize the potential of its working age population.
It has been speculated that if the nation is able to skill and educate its youth it will witness a two percent spurt in its GDP.
“India is a growing economy and would soon be the youngest nation in the world. It needs a multi – pronged approach to attain sustainable development. Education is one sector which can contribute immensely in bringing about inclusive growth and add to India’s developmental path. Holistic education which includes skill training, environmental understanding and on job training facilities is the need of the hour. It would help in developing a human resource base required to realize the aspirational New India,” – Dr. Vinay Sahni, CEO, DLF Foundation.
DLF Foundation aims to promote inclusive growth through their various skill training and education programs. Its ‘Nurturing Excellence’ program have been supporting meritorious students and encouraging them in carving a bright future for them.
Higher education plays a vital role in shaping up the human resource for it helps the person in developing skills, abilities and attitude which motivates them for social development. Availability of equitable access to education to both male and female would ensure an unabated growth.
The talent and skill of people can be brought to fore with the help of higher education. Teachers can play an important role in making this happen. It is necessary that they are involved in the process as they can bridge the gap which causes trouble to the students in rural areas.
The government understands that the students need to be in touch with current updated educational word. It has been striving to provide higher education infrastructure and education facilities. But this need to be supplemented with sincere efforts since mere availability of amenities does not guarantee access to all. Affordability is another issue that plagues the society. Multiple biases of gender, religion and socio-economic status need to be pierced to address this situation.
“Education is a key enabler to inclusive growth. Higher education is a corollary to achieving better employment, improved productivity and economic empowerment. Enabling access to education, improving its quality and making it affordable to all is the need of the hour. It is also necessary for the education system to reflect the needs of changing times to prepare students as best as possible, for tomorrow’s world. We, at Aide et Action, are committed to enable education act as a lever for development through strategic interventions that support capacity building at both local and national level. Our initiatives such as Back2 Basics and iLead programme have set new benchmarks in excellence,” – Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, Director – Livelihood Education, South Asia Aide et Action International.
The incessant efforts of government in reducing the socio-economic disparity through various programmes and schemes is expected to yield results in the near future. Combining it with a recalibrated effort for spread of higher education would ensure inclusive growth. Various NGO’s and CSR foundations are assisting the government through programmes run by them.
