The newsletter congratulates ISRO on the successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission. It notes that witnessing a space launch in person generates feelings of patriotism and pride in what the country can accomplish. The newsletter also discusses NSDC's progress towards its skilling target of 150 million by 2022, including the 1 million target for the current financial year. Additionally, it announces a new memorable phone number for the STAR scheme and encourages distributing promotional posters.
1. Hello,
Welcome to the October 2013 edition of Skill Matters – NSDC’s official newsletter.
Allow us to get a little ahead in congratulating the bright minds at Indian Space
Research Organisation on the successful launch of The Mars Orbiter Mission,
called Mangalyan, launched on-board PSLV C25 on November 5. Watching a space
vehicle launch on television is one thing and witnessing it in person is a completely
different experience (I was fortunate to witness two launches from Sriharikota). It is
something similar to what cricket fans say about watching the match live from stadium.
One likely emotion is a surge of patriotism. A quiet “We did it,” echoes in the mind. A
nation that is just 66 years old has proven again and again that it can do anything it sets
its mind on. While critics may hold back their congratulations until mission succeeds
(when the orbiter comes homes safely), we need not. The launch was a crucial
milestone and we did succeed in that.
At NSDC reaching the 150 million skilling target is not just about the destination 2022
but a series of small and big successes and failures that we will experience on the way.
The target for this financial year is 1 million which we are well on our way to achieve
and 3.3 million next year.
We are happy to announce here that we have new call centre number 088000-55555
for STAR scheme. We got a feedback that we need a more memorable number for
prospective trainees to call in for information on this unique and wonderful scheme. We
have also release a series of colourful posters advocating the STAR scheme phone
number in 13 widely spoken languages in India. You can download these from our
website - http://www.nsdcindia.org/our-work/advocacy.aspx. Please do so and
distribute them in your neighbourhood. You will be doing our nation a great service.
In October the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. ShashiTharoor
released the Occupational Analysis reports for the IT-ITeS Sectors which in itself was a
major milestone for all us in the skill building ecosystem.
Karnataka took a major step in introducing vocational training at Levels 1 and 2 for
school children in grade 9 and 11. This is first of its kind effort in the country that will go
a long way in helping the youth plan their career very early in life, much before they step
into the world outside academia. The 3rd edition of Power to Empower was launched
recently. This is a unique way to make students and entrepreneurs to tap into the large
business opportunity that exists in the skills development arena. The last date for
nominating your idea is December 1, 2013. So hurry up !
2. Finally we had a group of young visitors from India and Germany from classes 9th and
10th on an exchange programme. Their visit lasted just two hours but the memory
lingers on. Some of our young guests actually want to become cricket players while a
few others astronauts. We don’t have a National Occupational Standard for astronauts
yet! But who knows by the time ISRO is ready to send a manned mission to Mars we
may have created one. Who knows one of the young boy or girl who sat in the board
room asking the most difficult questions on skilling might be the first human to set foot
on Mars.
Happy reading.
KalyanSubramani
Principal – Communication and Advocacy
