Lok Sabha Question No. 2280 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-01
Subject: Aging Population
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2280 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.01.2018

## Aging Population

## 2280.   DR. GOKARAJU GANGA RAJU:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a)    whether    it    is    a    fact    that    the  International  Monetary  Fund  has  warned  that  aging population  in  India  would  drag  economy  growth  and  urged  policy  makers  to    step    up    their response  to  shifting demographics;

(b)  whether  it  is  true  that  rapid  aging  causes  smaller  workforce  in  the  future  and  potentially causes  lower  productivity growth and could face lower annual GDP; and

(c) if so, the details of the measures the Government has taken/proposed to be taken to deal with aging population problem in India?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (Dr. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a) to (c): India is one of the youngest nations in the World, with about 65% of the population under 35 years  of  age.   The  youth  in  the  age  group  of  15-29  years  comprise  27.5%  of  the  population.   India  is expected  to  become  the  4th  largest  economy  by  2025,  only  after  the  United  States,  China  and  Japan, contributing about 5.5%-6% to the world GDP.  While most of these developed countries face the risk of an ageing workforce, India is expected to have a very favourable demographic profile. This necessitates that the youth  in  the  country  are equipped  with  the  skills  and  knowledge  to  enter  the workforce    through    education    and  training.  The  Government  has  accorded  high  priority  to education sector. The National Education Policy was framed in 1986, modified in 1992 envisages a National System of Education to bring about uniformity in education, making adult education programmes  a  mass  movement,  providing  universal  access,  ensuring  retention  and  improving quality in elementary education, special emphasis on education of girls, establishment of pacesetting  schools,  like  Navodaya  Vidyalayas  in  each  district,  vocationalisation  of  secondary education,  synthesis  of  knowledge  and  inter-disciplinary  research  in  higher  education,  starting more  Open  Universities  in  the  States,  strengthening  of  the  All  India  Council  of  Technical Education, encouraging sports, physical education, Yoga and adoption of an effective evaluation method. NPE 1986 has stated that the open learning system has  been initiated  in  order  to  augment opportunities for higher education, as an instrument of democratising education and to make it a lifelong process. Currently, the Government is in the process of formulating a New Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of the population's requirement with regard to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry. Initially, a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy  was  constituted  which  submitted  its  report  in  May,  2016  and  thereafter,  the  Ministry prepared 'Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016'. Both these documents are treated as inputs for policy. New Education Policy was also discussed in the 64 th CABE meeting held  in  October,  2016.Both  these  documents  are  treated  as  inputs  for  policy  formulation.  The exercise of preparing a New Education Policy is still ongoing as a Committee for Draft National Education Policy under the Chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan has been constituted, which is expected to submit its report010 shortly.

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