Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal on Friday sought the active involvement of the Indian diaspora in improving educational infrastructure in the country.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the ninth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the HRD minister said that the country needed over $150 billion worth of investment in the education sector in the next 10 years.
He asked the diaspora to help the government bridge the mismatch between demand and supply in the education sector.
“In the next 15-20 years, the country will have to produce at least 250 million graduates and 500 million skilled workers to sustain high growth rate and to become one of the top nations in the world,” he pointed out.
Mr Sibal said currently only 12.4 per cent of the total 220 million school-going children reach college and the government aims to increase the percentage to 30 by 2020. “We will need 1,000 more universities and 45,000 more colleges. It is a mind-boggling challenge and I think 25 million Diaspora is our strength here,” Mr Sibal said.
“The country needs investment of $150 billion alone in education sector in the next 10 years. If India is to become an important member in the comity of nations, the foundations of our strength will ultimately lie in the empowerment of our youth,” the minister said.
Mr Sibal said various legislation are in the offing, including the Foreign Education Providers Bill, to help the education sector but he put the blame on the Opposition parties for not allowing Parliament to function.
On Foreign Education Providers Bill, he said the government was hopeful that it would be cleared by Parliament soon.