Deputy CM of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Mukesh Agnihotri, graced the third day of G20-S20 Meet at IIT Mandi, where the theme Skill India was discussed among public and private sector delegates. The focus was on skill-based education, entrepreneurship, and service skills among Indian youth, in line with the vision of making India self-reliant or Atma Nirbhar.
Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi, emphasized that Skill India is a catalyst for Atmanirbhar Bharat and stated IIT Mandi’s commitment to sustainable development. He mentioned the Institute’s initiatives related to the 17 parameters for sustainable development outlined by the United Nations, cited verticals such as Bioenergy, Climate control agriculture, Biomedicine, and introduced the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Institute.
Chief Guest, Shri Mukesh Agnihotri, stated that the state government and IIT Mandi will join hands to work towards skilling the youth. He announced the handover of a Skill Development Centre in Una to IIT Mandi as a satellite centre for skill development. He also added that electric vehicles are the future and the focus must be on indigenizing technology to create sustainable and affordable solutions.
The one-day Skill India conclave included multiple guest talks on the importance of skill India, with distinguished speakers such as Dr. Vinita Aggarwal, Executive Member of National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), Dr. Neeta Pradhan Das, General Manager of Strategy and Future of Work, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and Dr. Rita Sharma, Director of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), all offering their opinions on the relevance of skill development in driving economic growth.
This initiative by IIT Mandi underlines a practical approach to developing industry skills, encouraging entrepreneurship and service skills for the youth and promoting sustainable development. The inclusion of public and private sectors’ representatives amplifies Skill India’s importance and aligns with the larger agenda of making India self-reliant.
