New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the importance of skill training institutes is in no way less than that of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). He called upon the youth to continuously learn new skills and upgrade their capabilities in line with the changing technology.
Modi interacted with representatives of the Indian team participating in the 48th World Skills Competition held in Shanghai at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here. He congratulated the participants for representing India at the international platform and encouraged them to become ambassadors of skill development in the country.
The Prime Minister said that practical skills are as important as academic degrees. He asked the youth to develop skills to suit the needs of the international market and keep pace with emerging technologies.
Modi said that youth, government and training institutions will have to work together to make India a global hub of skilled human resources. He urged the participants to share the experiences and suggestions gained during the competition with the government, so that the skill training system of the country can be further improved. The participants shared their experiences of adapting to new equipment, software, technical systems and work processes during the competition. He also mentioned the efforts being made by the government for skill development.
India finished 10th in the 48th World Skills Competition held from 22 to 27 September in Shanghai. The Indian contingent won six silver medals and 20 medals of excellence. India’s largest ever contingent of 70 members participated in the competition in 63 skill categories. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary and senior officials of the Central Government were also present in this conversation.