DigiSaksham boost to enhance employability of youth
Author: BI Bureau
New Delhi: In an attempt to enhance the employability of youth, Minister for Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav has launched DigiSaksham. It aims to enhance the employability of youth by imparting digital skills that are required in an increasingly technology driven era. This joint initiative with Microsoft India is an extension of the government’s ongoing programs to support the youth from rural and semi-urban areas.
Through DigiSaksham initiative, free of cost training in digital skills including basic skills as well as advanced computing, will be provided to more than 3 lakh youths in the first year. The Jobseekers can access the training through National Career Service (NCS) Portal (www.ncs.gov.in). The initiative gives priority to the job-seekers of semi urban areas belonging to disadvantaged communities, including those who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Union Minister Yadav said that with fast paced technology up gradations, constant skilling, reskilling and upskilling is a must. Under the DigiSaksham initiative, there will be basically three types of training viz. Digital Skills – Self paced learning, VILT mode training (Virtual Instructor led) and ILT mode training (Instructor led). The ILT training which is in person training would be conducted at the Model Career Centres (MCCs) and National Career Service Centres (NCSC) for SCs/STs across the country.
The DigiSaksham initiative will equip more than 300,000 youth in technical skills in the first year and Jobseekers can access Microsoft learning resources such as programming languages, data analytics, software development fundamentals and advanced digital productivity on the National Career Service (NCS) Portal. The initiative gives priority to the job-seekers of semi urban areas belonging to disadvantaged communities, particularly the candidates from the socially and economically backward communities, marginalized communities, people who have been displaced or lost jobs due to Covid-19.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing the National Career Service (NCS) Project as a Mission Mode Project for transformation of the National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment related services like job matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship, internships etc. The services under NCS are available online which was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.
With the increased focus of Government on career counselling service, the Ministry has created a network of more than 700 Career Counsellors who are regularly publishing their schedules on NCS Portal. Knowledge Repository of Career Counselling content has been created by digitizing the existing Counselling literature and making it amenable for periodic up-dating by stakeholders and made accessible to various users. Occupational information on more than 3600 occupations based on National Classification of Occupations 2015 is also available under career information.
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The exports of agricultural commodities from March to June 2020 shot up by 23.24 percent on-year to Rs 25,552.7 crores.
As the economy comes to a standstill amid the coronavirus-led lockdown, India’s agriculture sector has taken the baton of economic growth in its hands. The exports of agricultural commodities from March to June 2020 shot up by 23.24 percent on-year to Rs 25,552.7 crores, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The government said that self-reliant agriculture is critical for the goal of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and for this, agricultural export is extremely important as besides earning foreign exchange for the country, the exports help farmers, producers, and exporters to take advantage of the wider international market and increase their income.
The surge in exports has also resulted in increased production in the farm sector by increasing coverage area and productivity. The share of India’s agricultural exports and imports in the world agriculture trade in 2017 was 2.27 percent and 1.90 percent, respectively. Even during the difficult time of pandemic lockdown, India took care not to disturb the world food supply chain and continued to export, the government said.
Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a comprehensive action plan for the promotion of Agri trade; the twofold approach focuses on boosting Agri Export with emphasis on value addition and action plan for Import Substitution. Recently, the Agriculture sector has witnessed a series of reforms, giving more choices to the farmers to sell their produce at competitive rates.
To mention a few, the Export strategy focuses on the export promotion of fast-evolving niche markets of Wellness food/ Health-conscious food/nutraceuticals, Development of “Brand India” in campaign mode to help penetration into new foreign markets and of new products which automatically translates into higher value realization, Gulf countries have been identified as focus destination to increase the market share which is a strong market for India though presently India caters to only 10-12% share of their total imports. A product-market matrix has been made containing a list of products of strength that could be expanded in new geographies and a list of known markets which can be introduced with newer products.
At the behest of the Department of Agricultural Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, product-specific Export Promotion Forums have been created to lead Agri exports to new heights. Each Export Promotion Forum shall be having exporters of the related commodity as its members along with official members representing concerned Ministries/Departments of the Central and State Governments. Chairman APEDA shall be the chairman of each of these forums. The forums will meet at least once every two months, to discuss recommendations on issues pertaining to the export.
The recommendations of the forum will be placed in the product committee / Authority of APEDA. The Forum will keep in close contact with the concerned organization of the Ministry of Agriculture such as MIDH, Extension, NPPO, etc., DGFT, Ministry of Civil Aviation, MoFPI, etc. to further the interest of agricultural export.
