I vividly remember when Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister in 2014, he proudly mentioned in his speech that India is a ‘young country’. Even today, the proportion of young people in India constitutes approximately 30.08% of the total number of young people in the world. This significant proportion indicates the crucial role that India’s youth will play in global demographics and future socio-economic trends. Given current demographic trends, India is likely to maintain this substantial share of the global youth population for the next several decades. That being said, it is equally important to skill up the youth and train them to be world-class professionals, technicians, and craftspeople with stringent quality control to match that expectation.
Efforts Made
Since 2015, the Government launched Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with the good intent of training India’s youth. Between FY17 and FY23 (as of 5 January 2023), under PMKVY 2.0, about 1.1 crore persons were trained: 83 percent certified and about 21.4 lakh placed. Under PMKVY 3.0, during FY21 to FY23 (as of 5 January 2023), 7.4 lakh persons have been trained, 66 percent certified, and 41,437 placed. Here, we note a persistent gap between intent and achievement. This points to the need for the youth to be trained to a level of being employable.
From this performance, it appears that the upskilling doesn’t respond to the needs of the industry, which points to a need to revamp the efforts in close consultation with potential employers at the earliest.
In today’s post, let’s explore where we want to go, where we are, and what should be done to achieve our aim.
Where We Want to Go
Our vision for the future is to transform India into a global hub of world-class skilled professionals and craftspeople, recognized for their expertise and quality. We aim to create an environment where every young individual has the opportunity to acquire world-class skills, contribute to the economy, and thrive in a competitive global market. This entails a workforce that can:
- Effectively respond to global competitiveness
- Be innovative and enterprising
- Be inclusive and environmentally responsive
However, merely having a desire will not take us anywhere.
Where We Are
I don’t mean to be cynical, but there is a sense of a casual approach in most sectors today, regardless of industry and whether they are managed by the government or private players.
- Government Sector: Increased incidents of infrastructure failure under construction and after construction due to insufficient maintenance, increased accidents, fires, and casual handling of urban floods, which replicate across almost every sector.
- Private Sector: Three years ago, I purchased a water pump from India’s most reputed brand for my housemaid’s home. The product turned out defective and didn’t function from day one. I had to escalate the matter to a senior level and threaten legal action to get redressal. Similar issues are evident in increased vehicle recalls and multiple software updates due to persistent bugs. Recently, we received disturbing news about the canopies of three airport roofs failing due to rain, pointing at poor maintenance practices—all managed by the private sector.
These examples illustrate the pervasive problem. Can we attain global standards in this manner?
Casual Attitude: Popcorn Mind Syndrome
A significant barrier to achieving these goals is the prevalent “Popcorn Mind” syndrome among many of India’s youth. This term refers to the lack of focus and professionalism that manifests in various sectors, leading to careless and casual responses with severe consequences.
When you write an email to customer care today, often outsourced to BPOs, you are likely to receive a response that feels half-baked and incomplete. In a lighter tone, there is an old formula for dealing with complaints: A, B, C, and D. First, try to Avoid the issue. If that’s not possible, then Bypass it. If bypassing doesn’t work, try to Confuse the customer. And if all else fails, Destroy the complaint. To artificially boost performance metrics, customers often receive two emails: one stating that their issue has been referred to the concerned department, and another claiming that the issue has been resolved. While these actions improve the statistical appearance of the customer service process, the actual issue remains unresolved. Sometimes, you might even receive an email claiming that the issue has been closed without it actually being addressed, simply to boost performance metrics. Another common tactic is to make customer care itself inaccessible. Just recently, my son, visiting from abroad, had an issue with an airline and had to wait an hour just to speak with someone! He was fortunate that the phone connection remained active for that long.
This lack of effective resolution largely stems from a lack of professionalism and what I term as “Popcorn Mind Syndrome.” This syndrome refers to the lack of focus and a casual approach that leads to unsatisfactory customer service and unresolved issues. Before we do anything else, we must address this issue, which affects our youth like an infectious disease.
Bhagavad Gita 6.5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
Translation: “One must elevate, not degrade, oneself by one’s own mind. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.”
Interpretation: Your mind can either be your best ally or your worst enemy. By practicing self-discipline and positive thinking, you can make your mind your friend, aiding in controlling restlessness.
But how to control this restlessness that manifests into Popcorn Syndrome? We must deal with the issue holistically.
Cultivate a Culture of Focus and Professionalism
Bhagavad Gita 6.26
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम्।
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत्॥
Translation: “From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.”
Interpretation: Whenever the mind wanders, gently bring it back to focus. This practice helps in controlling the mind’s restlessness and enhancing concentration.
Practices to be Adopted at Individual Level
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Practice with a resolve to help calm the mind and improve focus.
- Time Management: Adopt time management as a culture, prioritizing tasks and breaking them into smaller, manageable steps to reduce feelings of overwhelm.
- Regular Breaks: Taking short breaks during tasks can help reset focus and prevent burnout.
- Single-tasking: Focus on one task at a time to improve efficiency and concentration.
- Healthy Lifestyle: Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can support overall mental health and cognitive function.
- Digital Detox: Reducing screen time and minimizing distractions from digital devices can help maintain focus.
Practices at Educational Level
- Incorporate Mindfulness Practices: Incorporate mindfulness practices and concentration exercises into educational curricula to help students develop better focus and attention to detail.
- Teach Professionalism and Ethics: Teach the importance of professionalism and ethical behaviour in all fields, emphasizing the impact of careless actions on society.
Practices at Organisation/Industry Level
- Rigorous Oversight: Establish stringent oversight mechanisms for infrastructure projects and industrial processes to ensure adherence to safety and quality standards.
- Customer Feedback Systems: Develop robust systems for gathering and acting on customer feedback to improve service quality and responsiveness.
Customer-Centric Approach
- Design Thinking: Encourage the use of design thinking in product and service development to ensure solutions are tailored to meet the real needs of customers.
- User Experience Training: Provide training in user experience (UX) design to help professionals create more intuitive and user-friendly products and services.
Encourage Continuous Improvement
- Lifelong Learning: Promote a culture of continuous improvement and lifelong learning among professionals, encouraging them to stay updated with the latest developments in their fields.
- Quality Circles: Implement quality circles in workplaces where employees regularly meet to discuss and improve processes and practices.
Improve Educational Infrastructure
- Investment in Schools and Colleges: Increase investment to improve their infrastructure and facilities.
- Focus on Innovation: Emphasize training the mind to think up solutions, innovate, and constantly improve rather than blindly copying and adopting without adaptation to local conditions.
- Upskill Teachers: Ensure teachers are more professional and updated with industry trends.
- Industry-Academia Interaction: Enhance industry-academia exchange and interaction.
Enhance Quality of Education
- Align Curriculum: Align the curriculum with global standards and industry requirements, with a focus on practical and hands-on learning experiences.
- Robust Assessment Mechanisms: Develop applicable and robust assessment and evaluation mechanisms for high-quality education across all regions.
Bridge the Industry-Academia Gap
- Collaborations and Partnerships: Foster collaborations between educational institutions and industries to create relevant training programs, internships, and apprenticeships.
- Regular Skill Mapping: Conduct regular skill mapping exercises to identify emerging trends and tailor educational programs to meet the demands of the job market.
Expand Access to Training
- Vocational Training Centres: Establish vocational training centres in rural and underserved areas to provide accessible skill development opportunities.
- Research Scholarships and Financial Aid: Offer industry-sponsored research scholarships and financial aid to students.
Promote Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Incubators and Innovation Hubs: Set up incubators and innovation hubs to support young entrepreneurs with mentorship, funding, and resources.
- Entrepreneurship Education: Integrate entrepreneurship education into the curriculum to encourage creative thinking and business acumen among students.
Ensure Stringent Quality Control
- Accreditation and Certification: Develop a robust framework for the accreditation and certification of educational institutions and training programs to ensure they meet international standards.
- Regular Monitoring and Audits: Conduct regular monitoring and audits to maintain high standards of education and training.
Conclusion
India stands at a pivotal moment in its demographic evolution. By addressing both the tangible and intangible barriers to skill development, we can transform our large youth population into a global powerhouse of skilled professionals and craftspeople Investing in our youth today ensures a brighter future for India and contributes significantly to the global economy. Let us embark on this journey together, committed to building a nation where every young person has the opportunity to achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
Inspire Positivity 