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INTERESTING FACTS FIGURES & QUOTES-35

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Of all the waste we generate, plastic bags are perhaps the greatest symbol of our throwaway society: They leave a terrible legacy—ZAC GOLSMITH, UK politician.

The secret to modern life is finding the measure of time management. I have two kids, career and I travel, and I don’t think my life is any different than most couples. The most valuable commodity now for many people is time and how to parcel that out—Hugh Jackman.

An argument that has gained currency is that the economic motive for Bangladeshis to cross the border into India has begun to decline with an improvement in economic conditions at home. Data of last eight years lends credence to this argument.

Bangladesh has economically performed better since Census 2011. It has grown at over 7% over the last few years. IMF estimates that it’s likely to grow faster than India in 2019-20, at over 7.5%

The fact that 44.1% of the workers employed in agriculture produce only 15% of GDP means that output per worker in this sector is less than one-fourth of that in Industry and services combined.

Fire is generated by fire, fire is sustained by fire. Finally fire is consumed by fire.

The battle for the rosogolla has intensified with Odisha claiming that the legendary sweet wasn’t native of Bengal after all. This caused outrage among Bengalis who argued that those who attempt to take the rosogolla out of Bengal, deserve nothing but a (golla) zero in the mishti test.

Richness gives right direction to money, Whereas, greed gives wrong direction to money. Therefore, do understand that money is not the problem but your approach to money is the problem. The knife is not the problem but the one who uses the knife can use it either to cut a loaf of bread or someone’s throat.

Long back I read a book called the Richest Man in Babylon. A king approached a rich merchant and asked him, ‘How did you manage to earn money in this poor country?’ He said, ‘From whatever I earn, I give back 10% in charity.’ Even if you earn less give in charity, for then you are telling yourself that you’re bigger than money. It is only such a person who can create money.

‘When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways—either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using the challenge to find our inner strength. Thanks to Buddha, I have been able to take the second way’—The XIV Dalai Lama

The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does. No country is correct all the time and criticising a wrong course does not make one unpatriotic.

When people are emotionally depleted, they stop focusing on their jobs and instead work on improving their moods.

Bosses with grit regard work as a marathon, not a sprint.

Myanmar ranks as the world’s most generous country, with almost all of its population donating for charity.

A recent CSDS opinion poll shows that 2014 onwards the support for Narendra Modi has grown dramatically in the 18-25 age group, up from 33% in 2018 to 40% in 2019.

Calmness of mind according to Patanjali, comes when we focus on a single thought for a long time. This process helps the brain to loosen other mental knots and allows the processing power of released neurons to focus on a single thought and helps in reducing traumatic memories.

India is world’s 3rd largest network of railways spanning 64,600 km and 25,000 km of new lines to be added by 2020.

Increase in infrastructure investments of 1% of GDP results in additional 34 lakh jobs in India (Compared to 15 lakh in USA and 13 lakh in Brazil).

Indian wedding industry is now valued at 25.5 billion dollars a year.

Hindu India has been the sole nation on earth where the Jewish community has never been persecuted even though they have been living here for more than two thousand years.

The slum population of India has increased from 5.23 crores in 2001 to 6.55 crores in 2011.

The value of goods that lay unused in urban India is pegged at over Rs 56,000 crore.

It takes Rs 2.5 lacs per minute to run the Indian Parliament.

More than 1 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day.

SUVs have grown to more than 30% of the total luxury vehicles sold in India.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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INTERESTING FACTS & QUOTES–17

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Shoot the breeze—to have a casual conversation or to spend time talking about things that are not important.

Cut the cackle and come to the horses—to get down to business. Leave out the non-essentials and come to the part that matters. Agatha Christie was quite fond of this idiom and she has used it in some of her novels.

Not turn a hair—to remain unmoved or unaffected.

Shakespeare—arguably is the greatest wordsmith in the history of English language. Americans loved the Bard because they saw in him a pioneer: an inventive wordsmith who coined new words and expressions—some 1700 by one estimate.

Running the Parliament costs Rs 2.5 lakhs per minute or Rs 2 crore a day. MPs get Rs 2000 per day to attend Parliament. But does the country get the real worth out of the Parliament is the big question.

China has increased its investments enormously in the US in the last decade, employing 1,00,000 US workers compared to 10,000 in 2006.

Wang Jianlin is China’s richest man and the largest Chinese investor in the US.

A joint secretary in the Government of India is the administrative head of a department and has critical influence on its efficacy.

IPL ranks in the world’s top five sporting leagues.

A recent study by UNICEF on the economic impact of sanitation has estimated that in an open defecation free village, each family saves over Rs 50,000 per annum on account of avoided medical costs.

The ministry of law and justice has admitted that as of July last year, 24 high courts were functioning with only 615 out of the total sanctioned strength of 1079 judges. Where, center and state governments account for nearly 70% of cases in courts.

According to RBI data, total debit cards in India went up from 623.67 million (about 62 crore) in November 2015 to 867.35 million (about 87 crore) in September 2016 (a 39% jump, even if many people have multiple cards). Similarly, payments through pre-paid instruments like m-wallet or PPI cards went up from 62.66 million (more than 6 crore) in November 2015 to 97.07 million (that is more than 9 crores) in September 2016 (a jump of 54.9%).

There are 250-300 million or say 25-30 crore Indians with a smart phone.

The stark fact is that in a country of 1.2 billion people, we currently have only 2.50 lakh ATM machines.

I am told there is a magnificent archaeological site in western Africa—the vast ruins of Djenne in Mali. Apparently, this was a city of over 1,00,000 people one thousand years ago—a world class metropolis in the first millennium. A visitor to the site observed: “Its art was stunning. Its architecture reflected a complex society … what struck me the most, however, was the fact that it had been completely ignored by western archaeologists for decades, because they found no evidence of military constructions! The Djenne civilisation did not find its strength through military conquest or intimidation of its people, but through cooperation. It was a great city built not on fear, but friendship.

Stubble burning: Labour has become expensive, therefore mechanical harvesting is done for big fields. But the machine for harvesting leaves 25% of the stem during the harvest. This again, has to be cut, by another machine. So, burning the crop residue is easier and that is called stubble burning. There is an imposition of a maximum fine of Rs 15,000 for stubble burning for farmers.

India occupies 2.4% of the world’s land area and supports over 17.5% of the world’s population. India has more arable land area than any other country except for the United States, and more water area than any other country except Canada and the United States. Indian life therefore revolves mostly around agriculture and allied activities in small villages, where the overwhelming majority of the population live.

As per the 2001 census, 72.2% of the Indian population lives in about 638,000 villages and the remaining 27.8% lives in more than 5,100 towns and over 380 urban agglomerations.

In 1901 the world population was 1.6 billion. By 1960, it became 3 billion, and by 1987, 5 billion and in 1999, 6 billion. Currently, one billion people are added every 12 – 13 years.

When we see the population growth in India we find the population of the country was 27.13 crore in the year 1900, from where it decreased to 26.31 crore in 1925 which sounds impossible and then from there it increased to 35.04 crore in 1950 and 36.23 crore in 1951. From here onwards the population growth took exponential proportions of growth to 43.88 crore in 1961, 54.79 crore in 1971, 68.52 crore in 1981, 84.39 crore in 1991, and 102.70 crore in 2001.

With over 1 billion people, India is currently the World’s second largest populated Country. India crossed one billion mark in the year 2000 that is one year after the World’s population crossed the six billion threshold. It is expected that India’s population will surpass the population of China by 2030 when it would have more than 153 crore of population while China would be number two with a population of 146 crore.

Since 1947, the population of India has more than tripled which has resulted in increasingly impoverished and sub-standard conditions in the growing segments of the Indian population.  In 2007, India ranked 126th on the United Nation’s Human Development Index, which takes into account social, health, and educational conditions in a country.

Britian is already the largest investor in India among the G20 countries and India invests more in the UK than in any other country.

Gotra—is the male bloodline that links Hindus with a range of ancient sages.

The value of rupee has changed from Rs 17.50 per dollar in 1990 to Rs 74 per dollar today.

Interesting quotes and lines:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do”—Steve Jobs.

Alexander the great might just be right. “I’m not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I’m afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

“Virtue has a veil, vice a mask”—Victor Hugo.

“To error is human; to forgive divine”—Alexander Pope, English poet.

  “The first   requisite of civilisation is that of justice”—Sigmund Freud.

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems”—Greek philosopher, Epictetus.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS & QUOTES-12

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Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom with roots in blue rock, psychedelic rock, and acid rock. The bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The genre’s lyrics and performance styles are sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.

Around 16 crore pilgrims are estimated to have taken a dip in Kumbh—a good four crore over state government’s estimate.

Article 35A prevents outsiders from acquiring any immovable property in J&K and also denies property rights to women married to people from outside the state of J&K.

In India buying rural land is one of the major ways to invest black money.

An ageing Mig-21 Bison taking on an F-16 fighter jet is like a Maruti 800 taking on a BMW. Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman shot an F-16 with his Mig-21—a feat likely to go down in the history books.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the National War Memorial paying homage to nearly 26,000 military personnel who have laid down their lives for the country since independence.

Agriculture: Shanta Kumar committee report says, minimum support price (MSP) benefits only 6% of the farmers and that too just in wheat and paddy.

Netherlands is the world’s second-largest food exporter. It has many farming centers of excellence focused on exports. They use glasshouses, produce pesticides free fruit & vegetables. Use 90% less water and drones to track growth of crop.

Last week over one crore small farmers were pleasantly surprised to receive Rs 2000 in their bank accounts. This was the first of the three instalments under the Pradhan Mantri Kissan Samman Nidhi Scheme. 

It is a pity that even after 70 years of independence we don’t have accurate land records. Without which, direct benefit transfer to farmers account gets complicated. Most states do not have a central database of land records.

We all talk of war without realising that in the last 70 years or so, US lost 36,000 soldiers in the Korean War, 58,000 in Vietnam on just a population base of 175 million. Iranians lost anywhere up to 1,50,000 in their war with Iraq in the 1980s. China, lost 1,14,000 in the Korean war, and lost another estimated 26,000 in its brief punitive expedition to Vietnam. So think deeply before advocating for war.

In 2019 India observes the 100th year of Jallianwala-Bagh massacre that happened in 1919 during the British Raj.

According to 2011 Census Hindus are a minority in eight states Lakshdweep (2.5%), Mizoram (2.75%), Nagaland (8.85%), (Meghalaya (11.53%), J&K (28.44%), Arunachal Pradesh (29%), Manipur (31.39%) and Punjab (38.40%). But the thing to be noticed is, it is only in J&K where Hindus have been persecuted the most under a Muslim dominated majority.

   The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reveals that barely 50% of children in class 5 and 73% in Class 8 can read a Class 2 text. Only 44% of class 8 children can do simple division.

China is the world’s largest producer of solar cells, aluminium and steel. On the other hand India has not produced a single global champion or become a global power in a single new field in the last decade.

China’s R&D spending is 2.1% of its GDP, less than the US, but higher than Europe’s average. Meanwhile India’s R&D spending has stagnated at around 0.65% of its GDP for the last two decades. It lacks not just money but even quality scientists for research.

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II has given her royal approval to a law that will make it illegal in England and Wales to take ‘upskirting’ photos. The law will make it a criminal offense to take pictures under a person’s clothes without permission.

Voter’s don’t respond to economic statistics, they respond to their lived reality and that of people they know—whether they have jobs and their aspirations are being met (or otherwise).

This year … India’s 70th, in its existence as a republic, is also, the year, its economy is billed to overtake that of Britain in size and become the world’s 5th largest economy. 

Narendra Modi has ensured that more than 3 crore women get gas connections. And more than 6 crore toilets were constructed in India during his tenure.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Share it if you like it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

 

The Chinese economy is five times bigger than India’s.

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The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) reserved for India just 19.48% of the total waters of the six-river Indus system

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India is selling 25 million smart phones per quarter and the anticipation is 700 million smart phones in hand by 2020. Internet penetration is growing with 332 million internet users in India. Is now second largest international market, ahead of the US.

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Aadhar is the only billion-user platform outside the US and the only government one.

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India is the largest young country in an ageing world and will continue to have a young population for the next 25 years, whereas China has started ageing.

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Thailand has 25 million international visitors per year while India has only 8 million.

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The International monetary fund estimates that Indian per capita income more than tripled from about $550 in 1991 to $ 1800 last year.

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In 1991, the world’s most populous country accounted for a scant 3.6% of global gross domestic product. By 2015 this had nearly doubled to 7%.

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WHO estimates that the average Indian lives 10 years longer today (68 years) than a quarter century ago. But he has yet to catch up with the average Indonesian (69 years), and continues to lag behind the average Chinese (76 years).

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Between 1991 and 2015, India slashed infant mortality by more than half- from 86 deaths to 38 deaths per 1000 births.

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The international Telecommunications Union estimates that mobile subscriptions in India reached 79% of population last year, up from 62% just five years earlier. That sounds awfully impressive until you realise that in China the mobile penetration is 93% and in Indonesia it’s a stratospheric 132%.

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Back in 1950s and 1960s, US steelworks and auto workers were by far most productive in the world, and could demand high, rising wages. But today the workers in developing countries have acquired skills that are almost as good.

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Before the industrial revolution, China and India accounted for over half of world GDP, but their share fell to barely 7% in the 20th century.

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In the 20th century Europe was twice devastated by World Wars, letting the US forge ahead. US hegemony followed in the second half of the 20th century. Even US workers without college degrees had skills that were globally scarce, and so attracted high pay.

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The world Bank says the number of poor people globally more than halved from 1.75 billion in 1990 to just 702 million in 2015; the proportion of people in extreme poverty fell from 37% to 9.6%; and the world Gini coefficient (which measures inequality) fell from 75% to 62%.

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The US is indeed a great country, but for completely different reasons. It has been the most welcoming country for immigrants in history. Half the start-ups in Silicon Valley are by people of Chinese or Indian origin. Many Nobel Prizes have been won by first or second generation immigrants.

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What a lie: Out of the 6753 candidates of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections that were scrutinized, only four admitted that they had exceeded the limit of election spending as prescribed by ECI while 30 said they had spent 90%. The rest claimed that they had spent 52-55%.

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The telecom industry saw only 40% of the spectrum on offer being sold in 2016. In particular, the complete absence of any bids in the 700 MHz and 900 MHz bands came as a rude shock.

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Recently, interesting though intriguing data from 70-80 countries show that anxiety levels increase when there is less work (James Tozer in the Economist, citing a study done by the World Bank, in 2015).

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Economic liberalisation in China and India are commonly thought to have started in 1978 and 1991 respectively.

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ARTICLE: THE HYPE OF #LITERACY AND DILEMMA OF #EMPLOYABILITY

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DEFINITION OF LITERACY

    Literacy, as defined in Census operations, is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. A person who can merely read but cannot write is not classified as literate. Any formal education or minimum educational standard is not necessarily to be considered literate.

    (UNESCO) has drafted a definition of literacy which is, “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”

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    The National Literacy Mission defines literacy as “acquiring the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic and the ability to apply them to one’s day-to-day life. The achievement of functional literacy implies (i) self-reliance in 3 R’s-reading, writing and arithmetic, (ii) awareness of the causes of deprivation and the ability to move towards amelioration of their condition by participating in the process of development, (iii) acquiring skills to improve economic status and general well being, and (iv) imbibing values such as national integration, conservation of environment, women’s equality, observance of small family norms.”

    According to the latest report released on 31 March 2011 the literacy rate of India has increased to 74%. This means a decadal growth of around 10 %.

BUT CAN MERE LITERACY GUARANTEE EMPLOYMENT?

Is the moot point, as literacy only provides general ability to read, write and a sense of better awareness, but jobs, require deeper and varied skills that need to be created. In the recent Times Ascent edition of 27th November, I read; in the just concluded PAN-IIM World Management Conference held at IIM-KOZHIKODE our HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani harping on some appreciative facts about India as a routine lullaby.

    That India is one of the world’s largest democracies and according to some studies 57% of our population is under 30. Our average age is expected to be less than China and the US by 2050. This means more workers, or in other words, a demographic dividend. India has a large pool of workforce that is predominantly English-speaking. 4.4 million Graduates join the Indian job market annually, so there is no shortage of skilled workers in our country. So be it.

    But then do we have appropriate jobs for all as she has not spoken about those unpleasant figures of unemployment. ILO indicates sluggishness in the job market over the last two years where jobless rate could be around 3.8% this year which sounds optimistic. On a more historic note the unemployment rate has been hovering around 6-8 % on an average over the last decade or so. So, can one say, each time when literacy levels have gone up unemployment hasn’t come down?

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    This necessitates, we should take up skill building on fast track. Which horrifyingly comes up in India at a later stage of our educational system. And considering, the alarming school dropout rate of 40% with more girls facing the brunt, this should start at secondary school level.

CAUSE OF SYSTEMIC WORRY

    It is worrying to see, important ministers making isolated parroted statements in coveted milieus like IIMs and IITs, where even otherwise everything is hunky dory. And it goes without saying the stark reality continues to remain as it is and nothing much has changed on the ground. So the big question is how will the additional annual workforce of 4.4 million per annum be adjusted in the job market, and what is the road map for creating such jobs each year. Time has come when at least 74% of the literate Indians would want to know end-to-end on how these jobs would be created, before one brags about the English speaking workforce of 4.4 million and the young India. The central point therefore is the job-creators and the workforce creators of India need to meet on one platform to align, which is still missing.

    In any case most IIT and IIM graduates or post graduates won’t remain unemployed, rather would be gainfully employed. But what is more worrying is the lower end of the pyramid that will bear the brunt of unemployment.

    Considering the present unemployment rate. HRD minister would have done well by initiating a dialogue with those states and departments where huge vacancies are lying unfilled, especially teachers and police constables. The low hanging fruits. Which I guess is also the baby of HRD ministry. Needful to mention teacher appointments in some states have been subjected to scams, and appointments cancelled subsequently.

INDUSTRY INTERFACE

    One of the biggest sources of employment in any country, with India being no exception is through business and industries. Where, according to the World Bank we are still at an agonizing 142 in the ease of doing business out of 189 countries. And time taken for registration of a business is currently at 27 days that needs to be cut down to one day, as in Canada and New Zealand.

    Government intends to go online on approvals, for over 200 state and central permits by April next year which is laudable. Currently 81 state level clearances and another 133 at the central level are being put on line and out of these more than 50 relate to railway ministry, alone. But the big question remains; whether we can set up industries at a pace matching 4.4 million jobs a year, which will only increase by leaps and bounds. The answer as of now is no and that necessitates searching for other alternatives. And so; where is the MEA proposal (Ministry of External Affairs) if we were to export our workforce to various aging countries about which our Prime Minister talks so often? And which new countries have been identified where our young English speaking workforce can go and work safely with proper work permits and visas, in a safe manner. I guess, the two distinguished ladies Sushma Swaraj and Smriti Irani should meet on this agenda and at least identify the countries, and if for some reason it happens to be Germany, Smriti should not think of replacing German by Sanskrit.

THE ROUTE AHEAD

    For brand India, literacy to full employment will be a long and arduous walk, considering its size and scale. Where, premier institutions such as IIT and IIM should also brainstorm to show the way out. And we will have to figure out other avenues also, where I guess PM Narendra Modi’s team needs to come together on one platform.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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