Skill Development: Strengthening Yuva Shakti

Published By : Admin | April 13, 2012 | 17:31 IST

Dear Friends,

I would like to share with you an anecdote of a man I know, who repairs watches. One day a watch came to him for repair during which he noticed a manufacturing defect. He then wrote a letter to the watch manufacturing company based in Switzerland pointing out a defect in the design of their product. As it turned out, the points raised by this man proved to be correct and the company not only appreciated the point raised by the man but also had to withdraw the watches from the market.

What does the example of this man show? It clearly shows that innovation knows no boundaries; that every individual possesses the power to innovate. With perfection in work and work culture, the best of innovations can take place. But, a major component of attaining this perfection is acquiring the relevant skills in whatever we seek to do.

We in Gujarat have made this one of our top priorities. As you are aware, the nation is commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Gujarat is celebrating 2012 as the ‘Year of Yuva Shakti’ as a tribute to Swami ji. As a part of the celebrations, we have placed significant focus on enhancing skill development among our youth. Swami Vivekananda himself believed that the future of India depends on its youth. Never before in the history of our nation have we been younger than at present! Today, 72% of our population is below the age of 40, 47% Indians are below the age of 20 whereas only 10% of the global population is under 25. Is this not a great opportunity for us?

Infact, I have always believed that youth power is the answer to the question of whether India or China will lead the world in the 21st century. But, having a massive young population is not enough. There is a need to equip these youngsters with adequate skills and at the same time according proper dignity to each and every skilled profession. Only then will our youth power become our strongest asset.

In order to harness the untapped potential of our youth, our Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) can play an important role. Over the last decade, Gujarat has made a sincere attempt to improve the scope and infrastructure of our ITIs. Courses that were left unchanged for 3 decades were revised, the number and diversity of courses shot up with state-of-the-art infrastructure. From a mere 275 ITIs in 2001 the number of ITIs has shot up 4 fold to 1054. In the past, we only had 3000 ITI trainers but this has now gone up to 6000. We have also opened a window of opportunity by enabling ITI students to pursue Diploma and Engineering courses after their ITI education, thus widening their career horizons.

Friends, this century will rest on 3 major pillars: IT (Information Technology), BT (Bio Technology) and ET (Environment Technology). Though all 3 pillars are important, special attention needs to be paid to ET. Our ITIs can stimulate stellar research in tapping energy from natural resources such as wind, water, sun etc. Infact, I have even urged solar companies to initiate awards which could serve as incentives to stimulate innovation. Such steps can truly benefit all of us.

Every work, no matter how menial it is deserves adequate dignity. An individual performing a skilled task merits tremendous respect. We want to break away from a tendency of not respecting our skilled workforce. For that, instilling a sense of confidence among our skilled workforce can go a long way and that is why we have become the first state to start soft skill trainings in our ITIs emphasizing on overall personality development. Broadening of our mind is as important as skill development. It is essential to understand the larger vision of our deeds and once this happens no work will seem small. For instance, if a technician is working on solar technology there is a quantum of difference if he considers his work as just another mere job or if he works fully realizing that his efforts can make a difference to generations beyond him. When an expanded vision meets a skilled body, wonders can truly happen!

Gujarat has also launched 20 Swami Vivekananda Superior Technology Centres (STCs). These institutions would provide specialized training using state of the art technology. An example of this would be a STC related to Automobile Servicing. With Gujarat emerging as the auto hub of India, the potential in the auto-servicing sector is immense. Similar centres would cater to CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Technology and Solar Technology.

Handing over appointment letters to youngsters

Friends, the results of some of our efforts are already showing. We are hailing this week as Swami Vivekananda Youth Employment Week. In the course of the week, I would be personally handing over appointment letters to 65,000 youngsters. This is a historic recruitment programme in our country. The aspirations of these youngsters are not theirs alone. We remain committed to turning every young mind into a powerhouse of innovation combined with hard work, dedication and motivation. ITIs can become a natural playground in this endeavor, adding to the opportunities for our youth. With strong skill sets, the will to work harder will increase manifold and so will the zeal to perform. It is this mantra of  SKILL + WILL + ZEAL = WIN that will empower Gujarat and enable it to take India to greater heights.

Yours,

Narendra Modi

My speech while handing over appointment letters to youngsters at Ahmedabad

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A Decade of Digital India
July 01, 2025

Ten years ago, we embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction.

While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology.

While decades were spent thinking that use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

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When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins.

This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all.

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In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital.

Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere.

Bridging the Digital Divide

In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages.

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India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years. High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh.

India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India.

Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over ₹44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages.

Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty.

Democratising Opportunity for All

India’s digital economy is empowering MSMEs and small entrepreneurs like never before.

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers.

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GeM (Government E-Marketplace) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the government. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the Government.

Imagine this: You apply for a Mudra loan online. Your creditworthiness is assessed through an account aggregator framework. You get your loan and start your venture. You register on GeM, supply to schools and hospitals, and then scale up via ONDC.

ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies.

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GeM has also crossed ₹1 lakh crore GMV in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including 1.8 lakh+ women-led MSMEs, who have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore.

Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s Global Offering

India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) from Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag to PM-WANI and One Nation One Subscription is now studied and adopted globally.

CoWIN enabled the world’s largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore QR-verifiable certificates. DigiLocker, with 54 crore users, hosts 775 crore+ documents, securely and seamlessly.

Through our G20 Presidency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund, helping nations across Africa and South Asia adopt inclusive digital ecosystems.

Startup Power Meets AatmaNirbhar Bharat

India now ranks among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. But this is more than a startup movement, it is a tech renaissance.

India is doing extremely well when it comes to AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration among our youth.

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Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination.

India has championed humanity-first AI. The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI Centres of Excellence across the country.

The Road Ahead

The next decade will be even more transformative. We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world.

Digital India has not remained a mere government program, it has become a people’s movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world.

To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough.

Let us build what empowers.

Let us solve what truly matters.

Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.