Lok Sabha Question No. 165 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-18
Subject: Skill Development to IT Professionals
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 165 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.11.2019

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT TO IT PROFESSIONALS

## 165. SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL: SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that most of the IT professionals do not have adequate skills to work in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data Analytics, etc.;
- (b) if so, the steps being taken by the Government to upgrade their skills;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  include  these  subjects  as  part  of  College Curriculum and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) whether the Government is planning to open training facilities in these new subjects and if so, the details of the training centres being planned in Odisha and other States in the current year?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (b) The  IT-BPM  (Information  Technology  and  Business  Process  Management) Industry  in  India  employs  ~  4.5  million  people. As  per  the  reports  available  in  the  market, about 30% of the existing workforce would require re-skilling/ upskilling to stay relevant and about  50-60%  of  the  workforce  would  require  re-skilling/  upskilling  on  continual  basis  in emerging  technologies  to  retain  the  edge  that  India  has  in  the  IT  sector  due  to  growing automation, emergence of disruptive as well as new technologies, etc.

To align the IT industry of India with the dynamic world market, NASSCOM - a Sector Skill Council under aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched  FutureSkills  platform  on  19.02.2018.  The  programme  aims  to  re-skill  2  million professionals and potential employees & students in the industry over a period of 5 years. FutureSkills digital platform is providing a space where a learner can access content on all the skills of the future. A learner can seamlessly access free and paid content, assessments, virtual labs and get certified on the skills of their choice.

FutureSkills  focuses  on  155+  skills  spanning  across  70+  job  roles  on  10  emerging technologies namely Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Mobile Tech, Robotic Process Automation, Virtual Reality &  3D  Printing.  As  on  date,  FutureSkills  has  offered  training  to  approximately  6  lakh candidates.

Further,  to  reskill  and  upskill  IT-professionals  to  be  adept  with  the  emerging technologies National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of MSDE has established  'Future  of  Work'  initiative.  In  association  with  IT-ITeS  Sector  Skill  Council (NASSCOM), NSDC  has designed and developed Qualification Packs -National Occupational  Standards  across  9  emerging technologies  such  as  Cyber  Security,  Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, Block Chain, Robotic Process Automation,  Internet  of  Things,  Virtual  Reality,  and  Social  &  Mobile  Application.  Further, MSDE is incentivizing training providers to take up these courses for training under the Skill Development Mission.

In the areas of long term training, under the Craftsman Training Scheme at Industrial Training Institutes, new courses were introduced in 2018, such as Smart Agriculture (Internet of Things), Smart Healthcare (Internet of Things), Smart City (Internet of Things), Remotely Piloted Aircraft, etc.

(c) and (d) Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  presently  has  no  such plan to include these courses in college curriculum and establish training centers.

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