Lok Sabha Question No. 185 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: Digital Skills to Jobless People
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy, Geetha Viswanath Vanga

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 185 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## DIGITAL SKILLS TO JOBLESS PEOPLE

## 185. SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY: SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH:

## Will  the  Minister  of  SKILL  DEVELOPMENT  AND  ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) whether digital skills are crucial in the post - Covid era by training the jobless, modernise institutions and include cutting-edge technologies in university curricula;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and steps being taken/ results yielded; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government for a digital push in for healthcare which  has  potential  to advance  medicine  and  health  for  all,  State-wise  and expenditure incurred?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI R. K. SINGH)

(a)  and  (b)                Yes  Sir,  Digital  Skills  are  crucial  in  the  post  Covid  era  to  ensure skilling for the youth  and also to address the requirements of Industrial Revolution 4. Directorate  General  of  Training  (DGT),  under  the  Ministry  plays  a  key  role  in  the implementation of long term training schemes including training in the latest cutting edge technologies. DGT has entered into an MOU with IBM in June 2020 for Free Digital  Learning  Platform  'Skills  Build  Reignite'  to  reach  more  Job  Seekers  and provide new resources to Business Owners in India. The Skills Build Reignite aims to provide job seekers and entrepreneurs, with access to free online coursework and mentoring  support  designed  to  help  them  reinvent  their  careers  and  businesses. Multifaceted  digital  skill  training  in  the  area  of  Cloud  Computing  and  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is provided to students & trainers across the nation in the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). The Ministry of Education has launched an initiative 'YUKTI  2.0'  in  June  2020  to  help  systematically  assimilate  technologies  having commercial  potential  and  information  related  to  incubated  start-ups  in  the    higher education institutions.

- (c) The  Government  of  India  has  taken  various  steps  for digital push  in healthcare  in  the  form  of  eSanjeevani'  and  'eSanjeevani/OPD'.    The  eSanjeevani platform  has  enabled  two  types  of  telemedicine  services  viz.  Doctor-to-Doctor (eSanjeevani)  and  Patient-to-Doctor  (eSanjeevani  OPD)  Tele-consultations.  The

former  is  being  implemented  under  the  Ayushman  Bharat  Health  and  Wellness Centre (AB-HWCs) programme. It is planned to implement tele-consultation in all the 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres (as spokes) in a 'Hub and Spoke' model, by December  2022.  States  have  identified  and  set  up  dedicated  'Hubs'  in  Medical Colleges and District hospitals to provide tele-consultation services to 'Spokes', i.e SHCs and PHCs. As on date, 12,000 users comprising Community Health Officers and Doctors have been trained to make use of this national e-platform. Presently, telemedicine  is  being  provided  through  more  than  3,000  HWCs  in  10  States.In  a short  span  of  time  since  November  2019,  tele-consultation  by  eSanjeevani  and eSanjeevaniOPD have been implemented by 23 States (which covers 75% of the population) and other States are in the process of rolling it out. National telemedicine service  has  completed  more  than  1,50,000  tele-consultations  enabling  patient  to doctor  consultations  from  the  confines  of  their  home,  as  well  as  doctor  to  doctor consultations.

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