Union Education & Skills Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Jan 3 flagged off “Kaushal Rath”, an initiative led by NSDC in which specialized mobile buses are designed to provide skill training and certification to aspiring candidates across Odisha’s Sambalpur, Angul & Deogarh districts.
Equipped with state-of-the-art tools, facilities, and certified trainers, these buses will offer training and certification across course modules including Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Retail & Entrepreneurial Skills, amongst others. All these courses can be undertaken on Skill India Digital (SID) which is specially designed and developed to skill, reskill and upskill Indian individuals through an online training platform.
The Kaushal Rath will traverse multiple districts in Orissa, fostering connections with the youth by providing training opportunities for employment and self-employment. Equipped with computers, tools, facilities, and qualified trainers, the Kaushal Rath will journey through the districts of Angul, Sambalpur, and Deogarh. During this phase, it will deliver skill training to the youth in these regions. The event was graced by Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and MD, NSDC International.
Speaking at the launch, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a clarion call to make India a developed nation by 2047 with a $30 trillion economy. However, in the coming days, as AI and ML become a part and parcel of our daily lives, it is imperative that we train our youngsters in digital literacy and financial literacy so that they are empowered to thrive in the flourishing realm of digital financial services. Moreover, with the nation swiftly transitioning towards a formidable digital payment ecosystem, exemplified by India’s dominance in accounting for Rs 45 out of every Rs 100 in digital transactions, our local youth must be well-versed in digital literacy and contemporary technologies. It is my firm belief that this Kaushal Rath initiative will play a pivotal role in educating rural communities, especially women and children, in digital literacy and new-age technology, ensuring that every citizen is well-equipped in this digital era.”
Kaushal Rath’s overarching objective is intricately woven into the fabric of the Government’s Skill India mission, where its primary aim is to extend the transformative impact of skill development to even the remotest corners of the nation, effectively closing the skill gap. This initiative goes beyond by dismantling barriers that impede the journey towards skill proficiency, ensuring that opportunities reach the last mile.
It is pertinent to mention the ‘Kaushal Rath’ initiative was launched in the month of September’2023 at the instance of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla to enable a large number of youths to take up industry-relevant skill training that will improve their theoretical as well as practical knowledge and help them in securing a better livelihood by bringing necessary synergy, oversight, and effective coordination.
