Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
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independence day special supplement
Center For India Studies - Kuwait
‘Think and Evolve to build and progress’
Center for India Studies (CIS), is a Kuwait
based, independent, select think tank group,
formed with the collaborative efforts of
prominent Intellectuals and nationalistic
thinkers from the Indian community, living
in Kuwait.
Expatriate Indians live a fast paced life in
Kuwait and the pressure of a monotonous
working culture has forced a lot of us to
change our values and priorities. This has in
no way hindered our thought process and
the community strives to achieve and
contribute to the wellbeing of our Nation in
an intellectual and constructive way - CIS -
Kuwait fills this gap.
CIS-Kuwait’s objective is to become a center
of excellence, to kick start and brainstorm
innovative ideas and thoughts that can lead
to a stronger, secure and prosperous India.
With the motto ‘Think and Evolve to build
and progress’, we hope to evolve as a creative
force capable of producing positive ideas
which can influence various decision making
bodies in the society and use our collective
wisdom and creativity to show directions to
our society in various fields.
On Behalf of Executive Council of Center for India Studies -Kuwait
Mahadevan Aiyar
President, CIS –Kuwait
CIS Kuwait have been in forefront
organizing, diverse and unique events of
national interests. In align with Republic Day
Celebrations of the country CIS conducted
a unique function “Amar Jawan”, first of the
kind in Kuwait whereas around 50 ex-
servicemen who had served our country in
the Armed Forces (Indian Army, Airforce &
Navy) where honoured on stage in an
exclusive function. As part of World
Environment Day - CIS organized an Event
- Pragathi (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) - A
talk on imminent dangers of environment
destruction, traditional Indian Conservation
Techniques, common man’s effort in
conservation of Environment along with
Painting exhibition and free indoor
distribution of plants. CIS organized debates
India’s Growing Image and Rising Soft
Power, Lecture on Decoding
Demonetization, Lecture and Debate on
Union Budget of India to name few of the
major events. Besides organizing monthly
gathering of group members in debating
topics of national interests
Sreejith A Nair
Gen-Secretary , CIS –Kuwait
1
CENTER FOR
INDIA STUDIES
KUWAIT
CIS Kuwait aims to organize more studies,
lectures, symposiums, workshops, debates in
near future involving diverse participation
from academicians, doctors, engineers,
scientists, business communities on subjects
of National interest. We aim to find out
talents in youth and develop them through
talent exams and competitions, social
awareness programmes and leadership skills
development programmes
To make this possible we invite all dedicated
intellectuals and professionals in Kuwait in
helping us create a pool of dedicated and
influential caucus within the society to
effectively debate and put forward
resolutions to the Government of India on
issues that are relevant to the welfare of the
state.
2 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
Center For India Studies wishes all the members of the
Indian community in Kuwait a very Happy
Independence Day.
As we celebrate our Independence Day, we must all
spare a few moments to pay homage to those who have
sacrificed their life for this freedom that we enjoy today.
And, few moments of pride for those who stand up to
ensure our freedoms are well protected.
In the last 72 years, India has progressed and emerged as
a modern nation that is recognized in the world not just
as a big democracy but also, as a country of extraordinary
talents, and a fast growing economy. We have achieved
great advancements in health care, science and
Editorial
technology, entrepreneurship, and so on. We
have excelled in the fields of sport, arts and
literature. The best minds of our Nation head
some of the well knows global brands like
Google, Jaguar and many more.
Far from being only a geographical entity, our
Nation has a history from times immemorial.
We are home to the world’s oldest civilization,
which is until date unravelling new findings
and discoveries. Our culture and traditional
values are respected and honoured all over the
world and our citizens are proud ambassadors
of these traits across the world where they
reside.
As a developing Nation, we have a long way to
go in achieving various standards of living.
However, as an ancient civilsation, we have a
greater role in educating the world and
spreading the great knowledge passed on to us
from the learned men of the ancient past. For
that to happen, the citizens of our Nation must
rise to the occasion with pride in their hearts
and determination to spread the Vedic
knowledge of our Nation that calls for
Universal peace and bonding. Our Nation
must not be judged by the heinous actions of a
few but by the grace of our spiritual heritage.
Center For India Studies Kuwait strives to
achieve the same bringing forward an in-depth
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exploration to the multi-dimensional
achievements of India and we firmly believe
that the task of Nation building and Man
making cannot be achieved unless we derive
our strength from our roots.
On the eve of Independence Day with
immense pride we dedicate our special
supplement, “Jan-Gan-Man”, to the Indian
community residing in Kuwait. We have tried
to explore our rich history, heritage and culture
by the virtue of articles contributed from
eminent intellectuals of diverse background.
We hereby take the opportunity in expressing
our extreme gratitude to Hon’ble External
Affairs Minister of India Smt. Sushma Swaraj,
who has sent us her kind wishes on the
ocassion and H.E Sri K. Jeeva Sagar
Ambassador of India to Kuwait and entire
officials at Indian Embassy for the support and
encouragement they have extended especially
to the Indian Community as whole and in
moving India-Kuwait relations to new heights.
We are equally grateful to all our advertisers
and well-wishers for their stupendous support.
Never doubt that a small group of
committed people can change the
world; indeed, it is the only thing that
ever has - Margaret Mead
NEED to DISMANTLE COLONIAL RELICS
 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
Towards a
Vibrant India
Bharat or Bharata by which ancient land of
India was called was rich in its cultural
heritage, economy and civilization which we
are proud off. Today, we are celebrating the
72nd Independence Day of our Nation. The
transformation of Bharat to India, ever since
it became Independent from the erstwhile
colonial rule of the British in 1947, has been
turbulent and vibrant. The vision, our great
freedom fighters and martyrs had of
Independent India, has not yet been fully
achieved and we are still on the path towards
progress. India is considered one of the best
countries in Asian continent with steady
growth it has exhibited during its past years.
Yet, India is considered as a developing
nation. A developing nation means some
regions have developed up to the standards
we deem as developed regions and others
catching up the pace. In the past decades we
have seen India emerging as a nation of great
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interest for other countries. Looking at the
growth rate in economy, infrastructure,
defense mechanism, knowledge, education
and living standards, but the unacceptable
hard truth which every Indian cannot evade
is the unbalanced growth of the nation. The
country is still facing the teething problems
of poverty, malnutrition, poor conveyance
facilities, unemployment, child labor,
farmers suicide etc. which projects the
country in a very depressing way. It is a
disheartening situation for all citizens.
In the continued effort of developing those
regions which needs higher concentration
the government at different times has
formulated laws and rules for their upliftment.
But still the gap stands unabridged. Should
the bureaucracy and red tapism, be blamed
for this curtailment is a topic for a debate.
But for sure it is not the only factor which
drags the nation behind.
Center For India
Studies - Kuwait
Email : ciskwt@gmail.com
Contact : +965 66784867
+965 66903295
5
India is one of the most populated nations in
the world and as a responsible citizen we
have a greater role to play in the society. Every
responsible citizen should be aware and
voluntarily reach out for the betterment of
the society where he can contribute in a
small or larger way. A deliberative and
contributory model of living in society can
be small steps like keeping clean
surroundings, taking care of the public
property, imparting education to the
underprivileged children, startups which can
leverage the local static human resource that
can create ripples of change in the society.
Every home can turn out to be a powerhouse
of small-scale industrialization by mobilizing
the work force and in turn giving the chance
of increased employment and good living
standards. Forming small groups in each
locality, who understands the requirement of
that area and take leverage from the various
plans implemented by the government, in
starting self-help groups and small scale
industries, can bring in a massive change on
the ground level. .And for that each civilized,
educated citizen should consider his/her
country as their own homeland. Working for
our Nation and giving a helping hand to the
deserved people in our Nation must become
a part of our life. Then only true Nationalism
can be achieved. We must cross our barriers
of religion, caste, region, gender and language.
Only then India will regain its glorious past, a
land of diversified religion, culture, heritage,
language and people but with one mind and
one soul. Let us celebrate this Independence
Day with this thought and strive to realize it
in a grand way.
- Vibheesh Tikkodi (Noted Indian Writer/
Poet/Social Worker in Kuwait) -
6 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait

Sanskriti
Ubiquitous undeniably!
Shyam Parande (Social Worker & Secretary at Sewa International - New Delhi)

Sanskriti was welcome everywhere, Sanskriti across many states of India that people The expanse of Bharatiya Sanskriti is
did not hurt, as it spread across the seas and moved out. We were not an inwardly looking immeasurable. With modern science
lands, crossing borders smoothly and society but a society more adventurous than opening up innovative methods and
convincingly, and even to this day the impact any other one on the face of this earth, processes to understand the past history and
or influence it left centuries ago or even crossing the seas, crossing the woods, archaeology, distinct evidences are surprising
millennia, is uniquely at ease with itself and crossing the snow, facing the worst cyclones a lot of historians, scientists, archaeologists,
this is where it outscores many other cultures and cruellest experiences. and everybody else to find that the influence
in the world. The spread, if it is called so,
looked instinctive.
Sanskriti of the ancient Bharat survives till
this date.The hidden history of extraordinary
Sanskritic brilliance and exuberance of the
period 2500 BC to 500 AD has left
undeniable mark on the world today, be it
New Zealand or Japan in the East and Far
East or South East Asia in the Eastern
neighbourhood, or Middle East and West
Asia on the west, or Africa, or Europe or
Americas, it is experienced all over. On top
of it, unlike the modern societies of Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Americas, or
China for the most part bear very little
resemblance to their ancient counterparts
while Bharat still continues with what and
how the Sanskriti existed 4500 years earlier.
While the history is not recorded on the
papers like in some other parts of the world,
what remains vibrant for all these millennia
is recorded on the hearts & minds of the
people, albeit, practised in life in continuum.
The contemporary world is struggling with
the idea of harmony. However, centuries ago,
the Bharatiya Sanskriti used soft methods
and soft skills together with trade while they
moved around the world, with comparatively
developed science and technology,
I would not miss the famous a quote from
former Chinese Ambassador to USA Mr.
Hu Shih who said, “India conquered and
dominated China for 20 centuries without
ever having to send a single soldier across the
border.” This statement tells the whole story.
Indians used their soft skills, more
intelligently and skilfully than present day.
The movement was not only through a
single sea port or one single state, it was
 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
of Bharatiya Sanskriti, that was dumped as
cock & bull story some decades back cannot
be underrated.
On my visit to Australia in 2014, I had an
opportunity to call on a Professor of
Anthropology who lived some 150 kms
away from Sydney city. He belongs to the
native Australian community who are
known as Aboriginals. What amazed me is
that he connects his ancestry to North of
India like Haryana or Punjab. He was all
praise for India and Bharatiyas. I just could
not connect all the cultural linkages though I
invited him to Bharat formally. We have all
read about the marine adventures of traders
from South to Indonesia and other countries
but never knew about the Australian
continent as Europeans claimed that they
discovered this continent in 16th century.
Thomas Henry Huxley is probably one of
the best amongst early European thinkers
about human origins. He championed the
Darwin’s theory of evolution and visited
Australia on a ship called HMS Rattlnake in
1847 that was 11 years after Darwin visited
Australia. Huxley mentions in his “On the
Geographical Distribution of the Chief
Modifications of Mankind”, published in
1870, that ‘‘the only people out of Australia
who present the chief characteristics of the
Australians in a well-marked form are the so-
called hill-tribes who inhabit the interior of
the Dekhan, in Hindostan.” The study shows
that the earliest Indian link occurred
somewhere 4000 years ago during a time
when Aboriginal communities changed the
way they sourced and prepared food. Prof.
Alan Cooper from University of Adelaide’s
Centre for Ancient DNA, says the Indian
Influence may well have played a role in the
development of the Aboriginal culture. He
states, “The timing of all those things in the
archaeological record, about 4000 to 5000
years ago, happens to match the timing
estimated for this genetic influx from India.”
Now here is an observation that makes us
more lucid. Prof. Cooper further states that
around the same time of Indian connection,
a big expansion of one of the Aboriginal
language groups happened. The other
language seems to have taken over Australia
relatively recently- perhaps 5000 years ago.
And how it did that, how it replaced the other
ancient languages, we don’t know.”
Buttressing this is a theory that Dingoes first
appeared on the Australian landscape in this
period. (Dingo is the Indian breed of dog)
It took more than a year for me to understand
what the Australian Professor of
Anthropology meant while he stated that his
roots reach back to Punjab or Haryana.
Maori’s are the owners of most of the fertile
7
land of New Zealand. They are awarded
freedom to practise their tradition and are
respected as such in society. The Prime
Minister of New Zealand visited India in
2016 with a delegation of their country’s
leading Businessmen and Industrialists. The
delegation was hosted in Mumbai by the
local Chamber of Commerce and Industry
where one of the Industry Leader from India
quoted a Maori Proverb and stated that the
cultural similarities between Indian and
Maori culture might help the cooperation in
Business and Industry. This impressed the
visiting delegation so much that some of the
Parliamentarians who were part of the
delegation had built pressure on the NZ PM
John Key to make culture one of the
important areas for bilateral-cooperation
with India.
The Maori members of the delegation were
simply excited and the response of some of
the Members of the Delegation, are worth
reading. New Zealand representative
Rachael Taulelei says, “It’s been amazing
actually this is one of the first visits I’ve been
on that unprompted, you have officials from
a foreign country quoting our whakataukī.”
(whakatauki in Maori is ‘proverb’ or ‘quote’)
New Zealand representative Traci Houpapa
said, “One of the key themes that is coming
through all of the conversations that I’m
8 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
having with Indian business and industry
leaders is the importance of culture and the
connection between Māori and India. It’s
increasingly important for our government
to start thinking about trade in terms of
relationships with people.”
Truly speaking cultural diplomacy will be a
two way affair for India as our past generations
have generously empowered us. The point
made above is not talking about the historical
achievements but the contemporary
dialogue between two living traditions.
Japan, “the land of rising Sun” began to share
the ideals of wisdom and compassion with
India,.  Buddhism reached the shores of
Japan when the Korean King sent Sanskrit
sutras, statues (Murtys), Buddhist teachers,
ritual implements, painters and architects, all
that was required to establish it as state
religion. A few decades later a number of
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monasteries were built for the well-being of
the rulers as well as the masses. The most
outstanding among them which still stands
near Nara is Horyuji, meaning Dharma-
vardhana-maha-vihar.
As one wanders across the South East or
East Asia, every other society comes up with
similar experiences. Everyone talks and
discusses about the huge Mandirs of Angkor
Wat and Boro Budur or Yogyakarta
(Jogjakarta) or Mandirs of Vietnam but the
similarities and commonality of the South
East Asia with Bharat can be experienced at
every nook & corner. One will have to spend
a bit of time and a bit of brain to understand
the underpinnings.
The Greeks had admired India as the land of
wisdom and source of all philosophy. Of all
the European languages Lithuanian, the
most ancient of European languages was
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found to be the closest to Sanskrit. The
Sanskrit words which were imported into
Greek, Latin, Persian etc. have formed a vast
majority of Original English language.
People from Baltic States like Lithuana-
Latvia- Estonia, who had been attending
conferences in Bharat being organized by
International Center for Cultural Studies
(ICCS), strongly feel that they are of Indian
orgin. They have their ways of worship which
are distinct and perform Havan in a
condensed form.
Central America is a sanctuary of evidences
of Indian proximity to that land despite being
geographically far off. I would like to quote
here Ephraim George Squire, the Charge
d’affaires of United States of America to
Mexico, in 1849 writes, “A proper
examination of these monuments would
disclose the fact that in their interior as well
as their exterior form and obvious purposes,
these buildings- the temples in Palenque,
Mexico- correspond with great exactness to
those of Hindustan….” The relationship of
Bharat with Mexico or Central America is
undeniably manifest in as many forms.
There are striking similarities in India and
Mayan languages and one of the leading
scholars on Maya states, “A deep mystery
enfolds the tribes that inhabited the state of
Chiapas in the district of Palenque
(Mexico)….their writing, and the
anthropological type, as well as their personal
adornments….their system and the style of
construction clearly indicate the remotest
antiquity… (they) all speak of India and the
Orient.” There could not have been better
evidence of the proximity of the cultures of
Americas with Bharat than this one.
Writing this article is a challenge and I am
sure to fall short miserably as the all-pervasive
millennia. Yet, presenting few of important
events or areas or just pointers which are not
in common discourses have been included.
Areas of interest that might be just
representations of the hoary history and
which have potential to connect to the
present, is all that I could put together. I do
agree that this has to be a long book with
more concrete evidences and I am sure that
these are coming up by the day to enrich
human history. The story of Sanskriti can be
inspirational one to almost all.
Like Bhikhu Chaman Lal has titled a book
“India Mother of us All”, the expanse of
Bharatiya Sanskriti was all over and the world
welcomed & embraced the Sanskriti with
open arms. The motherly affection of
Bharatiya Sanskriti was a universal
experience, in all probability.
Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait 9
10 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait

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 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
Science & Technology Achievements
“We owe a lot to the ancient
Indians, teaching us how to
count. Without which most
modern scientific discoveries
would have been impossible.”
~ Albert Einstein
One of the oldest civilizations in the world,
the Indian civilization has a strong tradition
of science and technology. Ancient India was
a land of sages and seers as well as a land of
scholars and scientists. Research has shown
that from making the best steel in the world
to teaching the world to count, India was
actively contributing to the field of science
and technology centuries long before
modern laboratories were set up. Many
theories and techniques discovered by the
ancient Indians have created and
strengthened the fundamentals of modern
science and technology.
Thanks to the talent and infrastructure in our
country, today, India is among the topmost
countries in the world in the field of scientific
research. There are so many technological
achievements that every Indian should feel
proud about.
India’s 15 Major Technological
Achievements
1. Development of an atomic clock has
made ISRO one of the few space
organisations in the world to have gained
this sophisticated technology.
2. A team of Indian astronomers has
discovered an extremely large
supercluster of galaxies.
3. ISRO demonstrated its capability of
handling complex missions by
successfully launching a record 104
satellites on a single rocket.
4. ISRO launched the country’s heaviest
rocket GSLV-Mk III whose cryogenic
engine was developed indigenously.
5. Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old from
Karur in Tamil Nadu, scripted history
by designing the world’s smallest satellite.
6. PARAM - India’s first ever indigenous
supercomputer was a major milestone
in modern India’s technological journey.  in the Asia-Pacific region.
7. Aryabhatta - the first unmanned satellite
built by India was a breakthrough
achievement in India’s space programme.
8. India developed an indigenous seeker
11
for Brahmos for the first time.
9. The Mars Orbiter Mission made India
the only nation in the world to reach
Mars in its first attempt.
10. Chandrayaan-1, India’s first lunar
exploration mission, made it possible
for ISRO to go beyond the Geostationary
Orbit. 
11. ISRO successfully test-fired its Scramjet
Rocket Engine, a breakthrough
technology in air-breathing propulsion.
12. Space Capsule Recovery Experiment
Mission established India’s
technological capability to recover an
orbiting satellite.
13. The successful demonstration of the
use of cryogenic engine technology put
India among a league of only five other
such nations.
14. India’s INSAT system is one of the
largest domestic communication
satellite systems owned by any country
15. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS) helped India realize its
dream of having an independent satellite
navigation capability.
12 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait 13

Analysis
India Skills Report 2018
The Changing Employment Landscape in India

India has gradually evolved as a knowledge-based
economy due to the abundance of capable and qualified
human capital. With the constantly rising influence of
globalization, India has immense opportunities to
establish its distinctive position in the world. However,
there is a need to further develop and empower the
human capital to ensure the nation’s global competiveness.
Despite the stress laid on education and training in the
country, there is still a shortage of skilled manpower to
address the mounting needs and demands of the
economy.
The India Skills Report 2018 highlights trends in
employment and the outlook of hiring landscape in India
while understanding the needs of the job seeker and
organizations. The fifth edition of the report was brought
out by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in
collaboration with its partners – Wheebox, PeopleStrong,
Pearson, Association of Indian Universities (AIU), United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and All
India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). This
unique initiative aims to bridge the talent demand and
supply in the country, by providing a clear understanding
of the requirement of skilled manpower in the various
industries.
India is the youngest nation with more than 54% of its
total population below 25 years of age and 62% in the
working age group of 15-59 years. For building a pool of
skilled and talented workforce, recent skill development
initiatives undertaken by the Government include Skill
India, amendment in the Apprentices Act, sector skill
councils and others.
The employment landscape is rapidly changing and new
jobs are emerging with fast disruption in business models
around the globe. Skills required today as well as job
markets are markedly different from those 10 or even 5
years ago. The speed with which these changes are taking
place is bound to accelerate. Therefore, the need of the
hour is to build a skilling system which would enable the
workforce to adapt and match the new requirements, a
system that responds well to business needs and also
provides new opportunities for all. The India Skills
Report 2018 highlights the current trends along with
laying out what it will take for India to become the “Skill
Capital” of the world.
The India Skills Report 2018 focused on the creation of
future job areas by primarily emphasizing on fields that
have become extremely important in determining the
contemporary employability of India’s workforce.
Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Data
Science, 3D Printing, Digital Marketing, Cyber Security
and Blockchain Technology constitute some of the most
important areas that have the potential to attract potential
employers.
At a time when India is striving for increased employability
for its educated class and the government is taking every
possible measure to make students industry-ready, the
report threw light on the sunrise professional sectors.
According to the report, the hiring intent has been revived

DOMAIN WISE EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTINITIES PERCENTAGE GEOGRAPHY WISE

EMPLOYABILITY VS GEOGRAPHY WISE OPPORTUNITIES

Top 10 States With Highest Employment

Undergraduate or
Equivalent
ITI
14%
Polytechnic
22%
07% Post graduation or
Equivalent (MCA/MSC/
04% MA/M.Com/M.Tech)
Management Post
10% Graduation or Equivalent
24% (MBA, PGP, PGDM)
Graduation or Equivalent
19% - BA/BCA/BBA/B.Com/
B.Sc. etc.
Engineering or
Equivalent (B.Tech/BE)

EDUCATION WISE EMPLOYABILITY PERCENTAGE

Andhra Pradesh
Engineering Delhi
Gujarat
MBA
Haryana
BA Karnataka
B.com Maharashtra
B.Sc Rajasthan
MCA Tamil Nadu
ITI Uttar Pradesh
Polytechnic West Bengal

B.Pharma
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Top 10 States With Highest Employment

GENDER WISE
Source: India Skills
EMPLOYABILITY VSReport 2018WISE OPPORTUNITIES
GENDER

Organizations are working hard to improve the gender diversity

ratio from current 77:23 to 65:35 by next year. Employability
data supports the gender diversity drive if female prospective are
targeted well. Increase in male employability and improvement in
gender diversity increases competition for male prospective, which
14 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
and the employability in higher education has witnessed a
significant hike from 33% to 45% in a span of five years.
According to the report, the employability amongst the
fresh talents has increased significantly in the past half a
decade.
The key sectors which have witnessed a significant
increase in employability are engineering, pharmaceuticals,
computer applications and other professional courses.
However, Wheebox, a global talent assessment company,
has found that the focused professional courses are
creating more job-ready candidates than the generic ones.
It has also been found out that courses that imbibe
practical training and internships are visibly faring better
in terms of making students employable. Another
important aspect that has emerged from the study is a
marked reduction in employability for the MBA students.
With an exponential increase in the number of MBA
colleges, the quality of output seems to have considerably
gone down.
However, the story differs from the demand side. There is
a revival in the hiring intent. According to the India Hiring
Intent survey, organisations across sectors expect 10% to
15% increase in hiring intent from the last year. Retail,
banking, financial services and insurance sectors
witnessed an increase in hiring pace. ITeS, software,
hardware and IT sectors also saw a moderate change in
hiring numbers.
New jobs are emerging rapidly with a marked change in
the employment landscape. The job market and the in-
demand skills today are different from what they were 10
or even 5 years ago and this change is bringing in positive
results. Today, the industry needs skilled people and
building a skilling system to match the new requirements
while opening opportunities for all is the need of the hour.
A couple of important areas that are creating a lot of next
generation jobs are AI and Robotics.
Some Key Findings
• Employability has touched 45.60%
• Hiring intent for the year 2018 is positive with an
increase of 10% to 15%.
• There will be a significant impact of automation on
jobs in the future. 24% employers believe that analytics
is emerging as the future job area and 15% foresee
artificial intelligence as the future job area.
• 11% employers feel that very few job seekers possess
the required skill.
• 64% of employers are aware of the apprenticeship
scheme. The survey Report helps to understand
gender diversity and gender gaps across sectors.
According to the findings, the Retail Industry has the
highest female workforce with 50% female
participation while sectors such as organised
15
manufacturing need to push for women employability Qualification Framework (NSQF) and recognition of
as currently female participation is only 9%. higher level of skills in terms of minimum wages is noted
The survey also focuses on future skill requirements and
Conclusion
the impact of automation. 69% of the respondents agreed
India Skills Report has seen an improvement in
that automation is affecting their industries. Key future
employability, which is a good sign for the economy. The
skill sets that employers would be looking for hiring were
governmental efforts towards skills development,
in the areas of Data Analytics, Research & Development,
especially in higher and vocational training institutions,
Artificial Intelligence, Concept Design and Robotics.
are paving the way for quality hiring. Moreover the efforts
With a view to providing students a platform to assess the from the government and institutions are showing a
current state of skill requirement from the employer side positive trend. Report also reveals about new career
and also helping the employer assess skill availability opportunities like those in AI, Robotics and Data
through employability data, the report provides Analytics are on the surge.
information on four domains – education, gender,
We, as a country, are undergoing a phase of upward
geography and internship in the ‘Matchmaking’ section.
transition as we embrace the impact of digitization and
This was carried out with the objective of matching the
automation in our lives. A lot of effort is needed, both at
demand and supply side for employers and students to
the talent supply side and on the demand side, to ensure
find their equilibrium point. The results would be useful
we complete this phase with flying colours. What is
for both organizations and students to understand the
reassuring is that our analytics show that we are definitely
skill gap in these domains.
on the right track.
According to India Hiring Intent report, 49% of employers
India’s rising status in the global economy and changing
are positive on hiring. Banking, ITES, Financial Services,
lifestyles have made employers and trainees dream big;
BPO, KPO, Insurance and Retail Sectors project a strong
and rightly so. But the marketplace of skills is still at its
rebound in hiring numbers with a growth of 10 to 15
nascent stages and we all need to work patiently towards
percent whereas consumer goods and durables, core
achieving our dreams. It will not happen overnight -
sector (oil & gas, power, steel and minerals), software,
Skilling a nation is like a long distance race, not a sprint.
hardware and IT sector will witness a moderate growth in
hiring of about 0.5%. The country is facing a massive opportunity to be the next
economic superpower of the world; and only skilled
Challenges demography can help achieve this destiny.
Skill India Report 2018 reveals important challenges that
must be addressed comprehensively and immediately.
Problem in Mobilization
Student mobilization to get trained has been a major
concern due to the traditional mindset, low willingness
to migrate, low salaries at entry level.
Issues in Employers’ Buy-In
The employer does not distinguish whether an
employee has picked up skills on the job or he has
acquired them through formal training,
Problems In Scalability
Scaling up aspirations to current jobs as well as getting
the right kind of training partners and effective
stakeholder management are important. CIS Analysis Desk
Mismatch between youth aspirations and References:
jobs
Finding students to fill the classrooms and getting India Skills Report 2018 by
people to accept new kind of jobs have been difficult,
WheeBox, PeopleStrong,
Ensuring Minimum Wages
At present, wages are linked with categorization of
CII, UNDP, AICTE, AIU,
‘skilled’, ‘semi-ski lied’ or ‘unskilled’, but these have to be Pearson
aligned with skill levels defined as per National Skill
16 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait
 Jan Gan Man independence day special supplement Center For India Studies - Kuwait 17

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