In what appears to be a slight attack on India’s recently passed food security bill, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has said India’s priority is skill development and the Bill would not feed those in need, IBN Live reported on Sunday.
Modi, who was recently appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s election campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, discussed the importance of skill development stating that the perception that a certificate-holder is talented and skilled is “wrong.”
“The nation's priority is skill development. We have 65% youth in our country. They are hard working but they lack skills. They have certificates. The Central government thinks that a certificate by itself grants a person skills for employment, just like they believe that the Food Security legislation by itself can feed the nation,” IBNLive quoted him as saying.
Modi used examples of the US and urged India to try and use research work of its students in the development of the country.
“It's unfortunate that India has not used the research work of its students in the development of the nation...Research plays a very important role in a country's development,” he told IBNLive.
He also compared India to China, shedding light on the glaring difference between the latter’s 20% GDP expenditure on education as opposed to the former’s 4%.
China and India are not very different. India used to have two of the five world-recognised educational institutions, but in 10 years that has come down to one. China never had a recognised university; now they have 32,” he said.
He added: “There is a sense of despondency in the country today,” further emphasising on the need to modernise India “without westernising it.”
Modi shared his thoughts during a speech he delivered at Fergusson College in Pune where he visited for the inauguration ceremony of an ampitheatre.
Modi, one of the most controversial political figures in India, recently drew widespread criticism because of his remarks on 2002 anti-Muslim riots where he compared the Muslim victims to puppies run over by a car. He later tried to defend his claims through social media but with little luck of pleasing his critics.