NEWS:India s demographic dividend faces time bomb risk due to skills gap 70% jobs threatened by automation by 2030
GS-2 polity and governance
- India’s demographic dividend is at risk of becoming a demographic time bomb due to a widening gap between education and real-world skills.
- A 2022 survey revealed that 93% of Indian students are aware of only seven traditional career options, while the modern economy offers over 20,000.
- The Skill India Mission, aimed to train over 400 million individuals by 2022, fell short of its target due to systemic issues.
- Only 43% of Indian graduates are deemed job-ready, highlighting a significant skills gap.
- AI is expected to impact up to 70% of current jobs globally, with up to 30% of tasks being automated, while curriculum updates lag behind.
- By 2030, nearly 7 out of 10 Indian jobs are at risk from automation, but AI and other new technologies will also create 170 million new jobs.
- Over 65% of high school graduates pursue degrees misaligned with their interests, leading to graduates ill-equipped for the job market.
- The Skill India Mission is a flagship initiative of the Government of India launched on 15th July 2015 with the aim of empowering the youth of the country with skills that make them employable and entrepreneurial. It addresses the challenge of skilling a large workforce to meet the demands of a growing economy.
Key Features of Skill India Mission
- Objective:
- To train over 40 crore people in India by 2022 across different skills.
- Bridge the gap between industry demand and skill supply.
- Enhance employability and productivity.
- Implementing Agency:
- Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
- Main Schemes under Skill India:
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Provides free, short-term training in various skill sectors with certification.
- National Skill Development Mission (NSDM): Umbrella framework for skilling initiatives across India.
- Skill Loan Scheme: Provides loans ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹1.5 lakh to individuals for skill development courses.
- Apprenticeship Training Scheme (ATS): Promotes work-based learning.
- Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS): Community-based vocational education in rural areas.
- National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
- A public-private partnership that funds and enables private training providers.
NEWS:Nearly 60% of MGNREGS budget already spent in first 5 months of financial year
GS-2 polity and governance
MGNREGS faces funding crunch as 60% of budget exhausted in 5 months, impacting 12.15 crore active workers.
- Nearly 60% (₹51,521 crore) of the ₹86,000 crore MGNREGS budget for FY 2025-26 has been spent in the first five months.
- The Finance Ministry has capped spending at 60% of the annual allocation for the first half of the financial year.
- There are 12.15 crore active workers who rely on the scheme to supplement their household income.
- Approximately 38% of the current budget is allocated to cover pending liabilities from FY 2024-25.
MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme)
- Provides a legal guarantee of 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.
- It is the largest social security and public works programme in the world.
Key Features
- Rights-based approach – Employment is a legal entitlement.
- Demand-driven programme – Jobs must be provided within 15 days of demand, else unemployment allowance is payable.
- Wages – Linked to statutory minimum wages.
- Transparency provisions – Social audits, proactive disclosure, grievance redressal.
- Women empowerment – At least one-third of beneficiaries must be women.
- Decentralized implementation – Gram Panchayats are the principal planning and implementation authorities.
NEWS:UDISE+ data reveals 25 lakh drop in 3-11 age group school enrolment due to falling birth rates
GS-2 governance
- School enrolment of students aged 3-11 years in India decreased by approximately 25 lakh in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24, according to UDISE+ data.
- Total school enrolment (Classes 1-12) fell by 11 lakh students, from 24.8 crore in 2023-24 to 24.69 crore in 2024-25, the lowest since 2018-19.
- Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India dropped to 1.91 per woman by 2021, below the replacement level of 2.1.
- Dropout rates have decreased across preparatory, middle, and secondary school levels between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus)
Introduction
- UDISE+ is a comprehensive, real-time, online education management information system launched by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India in 2018–19.
- It replaced the earlier paper-based UDISE (2012) system.
- It is the largest Management Information System (MIS) in school education, covering school-level data from pre-primary to higher secondary.
Objectives
- Collect real-time data on school education.
- Support evidence-based policy planning and decision-making.
- Monitor key educational indicators – enrolment, infrastructure, teachers, outcomes.
- Ensure accountability, transparency, and efficiency in education governance.
Key Features
- Covers ~15 lakh schools, ~95 lakh teachers, and ~26 crore students.
- Data on enrolment, dropouts, infrastructure, facilities, examinations, learning outcomes.
- GIS mapping of schools for better planning.
- Enables district, state, and national-level monitoring.
- Real-time and error-reduced compared to earlier manual systems.
Recent Initiatives & Reports
- UDISE+ 2021–22 & 2022–23 Reports highlighted:
- Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) improvements in school education.
- Gender Parity Index (GPI) showing narrowing gender gaps.
- Expansion of ICT-enabled schools and internet facilities.
- Data forms the basis for the Performance Grading Index (PGI) of states/UTs
MAINS MOCK QUESTION
“Skill development is the backbone of India’s demographic dividend, yet challenges remain in translating it into employment opportunities. Discuss.”
