Kolkata : Addressing the launching ceremony of Indian Navy’s Landing Craft Utility Class Ship L-58 built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), at GRSE shipyard, Mr Rudy said, Skill development initiatives in shipping and other sectors will boost Make In India programme and also enable Indians to gain employment and be a part of skilled workforce in other parts of the world, he added.
Lamenting that he hardly finds any Indian crew on international cruise ships, Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the Centre wants to ensure skill development and bold steps in this direction have been taken. He said that Ministry of Skill Development has signed a number of agreements for skill development in the shipping sector which bears the potential to employ many skilled workforces.
“We have professors of mathematics, economics, geography, botany and others but we do not have professors of plumbing, carpeting and welding. We want these professors”, Rudy said.
The Minister said, NSSO survey reveals that only about 3.5 percent of the population forms skilled workforce in the country. But, it has also been found that skilled workers in the unorganized sectors have not been included in the survey.
Hence, the Ministry of Skill Development is taking initiatives to develop a mechanism to incorporate workers of the unorganized sectors in such surveys and census as has been desired by the Prime Minister, stated Mr Rudy.
The union minister congratulated Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) on the launch of its eighth Landing Craft Utility class ship (L 58) which also happens to be the 90 th ship manufactured by this Defence PSU.
These Landing Craft Utility ships are designed for multipurpose amphibious operations that are jointly carried out by Indian Navy and Indian Army, for ensuring maritime security around and Nicobar Islands as well as Lakshadweep Islands.
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