Rajnath Singh Highlights Skill Development as Key to India’s Self-Reliance at Symbiosis Convocation

By A Staff Reporter

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised the critical role of skill development in building a self-reliant India at the Convocation Ceremony of Symbiosis Skills and Professional University in Pune. He highlighted how the government has focused on empowering youth through targeted programmes since 2014.

“Since 2014, when the country took steps towards ‘New India,’ the Prime Minister has repeatedly spoken about Skill India, Start-Up India, and Make in India, because he understood that if India is to become self-reliant, the youth must first be made skilled,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister noted that a dedicated ministry was established immediately after the government came to power to promote skill development. Over the past 11 years, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has transformed challenges into opportunities, providing skill enhancement training to 1.63 crore candidates under the Prime Minister’s Skill Development Scheme.

Singh also highlighted the outreach of Jan Shikshan Sansthans, which has trained over 30 lakh individuals from rural and marginalised communities in areas such as tailoring, embroidery, handicrafts, and healthcare assistance.