New Delhi: Noting that 70 per cent of India's population is below the age of 35, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said the need of the hour would be to prepare youths for employability without government patronage.
In years to come, with more than 65 to 70 per cent of the country's population below the age of 35, India will not only be the youngest country in the world but also a major supplier of skilled and entrepreneur youths to the rest of the globe, he said addressing a function here.
Singh said while roughly about 40 lakh jobs are available in the government sector every year, the number of unemployed grows BY almost three times every year, that is, over 1.5 crore.
"To meet this challenge, the need of the hour would be not to depend on government jobs but to prepare our youth for employability without government patronage," he said, inaugurating India MSME Expo and Summit 2015, here.
Citing historic perspective, Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, observed that the first three generations after Independence continued to be influenced by colonial mindset and feudal dependence on empire.
"But now, as the Indian democracy evolves further, not only the youth are growing out of that mindset but newer and alternative avenues are also emerging on the scene," the minister said.
In this context, Singh emphasised the role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in supporting, encouraging and promoting young entrepreneurship.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, a number of schemes including MUDRA Bank for financial support and skill development programme for vocational training have been initiated which has started even attracting NRI entrepreneurs, who had settled abroad for several years but now wish to come back because they see an opportunity for themselves in India.
