New Delhi: Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University is expected to begin its first academic session from 2021. This was announced after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met the newly appointed vice-chancellor, Neharika Vohra, and other board members on Monday. Vohra was the chairperson of Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIM-Ahmedabad.
The board members comprise Pramath Raj Sinha, who started Indian School of Business and Ashoka University, Pramod Bhasin, who started Genpact in 1997, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder of naukri.com, Shrikant Sastri, who helped launch various startups and ventures, Prof KK Aggarwal, the former vice-chancellor of IP University, and Prof G Srinivasan, professor of Management Studies at IIT-Madras.
“The university has been established through an Act of Delhi legislative assembly. Students will be imparted skills and training to get jobs easily after passing out or pursuing business by getting hands-on training,” said Kejriwal, adding that the only objective and ideology of the university was to ensure employability of students.
The CM said that the unemployment rate in the country was very high and his dream was that every youth should be in a job. “There are two types of youths in our country. First, those who do not receive education, and second, who are unemployed even after getting degrees. Our education system is such that it does not prepare students for an employable future,” he added.
Stressing on the need of courses being designed in close consultation with the industry, Kejriwal said, “The courses should be designed in a manner that students get jobs based on the curriculum. The university should address the qualitative gap that exists in the skilling sector. This was seen when all industries, businesses, shops and markets shut down during the lockdown and people lost their jobs.”
Giving an example of the job portal that was started by Delhi government, the CM said, “When the lockdown opened, I met people who did not have jobs. I also met businessmen who didn’t have people to work for them. This means both are available,but they are not on a common platform.” He added that the university was also guided by the same principle.
“On one hand, many youngsters are unemployed and on the other, industries cannot find skilled and trained labour. If we impart skills to students, the industries will give them jobs. New businesses and services can be started in many economic sectors. If we impart business skills to students, they will be able to start their own workplace and employ others too,” said Kejriwal.