Access is the key, we have to hike seats, from ITIs to IITs: PM

Addressing a function to mark the inauguration of the Goa campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Singh said the “manpower gap” is emerging at various levels of the economy.

At the very top, this gap has been exacerbated by the migration of talent from India. “Graduates from some of our best institutions are increasingly being sought by employers worldwide. This accentuates the supply-demand gap at home. What is worrying is that we have this gap even at the bottom of the pyramid,” he said.

“In this context, our Government has taken up a project to upgrade 500 of our Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). I am pleased that the Confederation of Indian Industries has come forward to help with one hundred of these. However, if required, we should be ready to set up more of such institutions. We should make our educational system more vocationally-oriented to increase employment opportunities by raising technical skills,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that both expansion and improvement are needed when it comes to higher education. “I have repeatedly said that our Government is committed to addressing issues pertaining to increasing access to education, at all levels of the knowledge pyramid. Equally, we are also committed to promoting excellence and ensuring that our students and teachers compare with the best in the world. There is no contradiction in pursuing these twin objectives. Some countries like China have done this quite successfully. I dream of seeing an India that is fully literate…I also want to see an India where the best and brightest can realise their full potential and have the opportunity to do so.”

Lauding the efforts of the private sector in setting up educational institutions in several cities, he said: “Our country has splendid examples of private participation. The need of the hour is to encourage such (private) initiatives. We need greater participation of industrial houses in this activity. While we are proud of IITs, we are equally proud of similar institutions which have acquired global standing.”

Underlining the importance of access to knowledge as the “foremost necessity” of the nation, Singh said: “We welcome all the initiatives which help us to add to our capability of building education.”

Earlier, BITS Chancellor K K Birla said how BITS Pilani, which began as a small pathshala (school) in 1901, had chosen Goa for its third campus after Dubai. The Goa campus, spread over 188 acres leased by the group’s Zuari industries, has about 1200. The new campus in Hyderabad, on the invitation of the Andhra Pradesh government, will start functioning after five years, he said.

raju.nayak@expressindia.com