Lok Sabha Question No. 82 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Japanese Language Training for Youth
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *82

ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## JAPANESE LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR YOUTH

- *82. SHRI  SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government is mulling the inclusion of Japanese language training for youth as part of a multi-pronged skill  development  effort  to  generate  employment opportunities and if so, the details thereof including the present status thereon;
- (b) whether   citing a substantial shortage  of workers  in Japan's  rapidly  growing economy, the Government is planning to have extensive training on the Japanese language for skilled people; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the steps being taken in this regard including the results yielded till now?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  to (c)          A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *82 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024  ASKED BY SHRI SURESH  KUMAR  SHETKAR:  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  REGARDING 'JAPANESE LANGUAGE TRAINING FOR YOUTH'.

(a)  to  (c):  Yes  Sir,  The  Government  of  India  is  undertaking  various  efforts  to  include Japanese language training as part of its multi-pronged skill development strategy for the employment opportunities for youth.

Government of India has put special importance on Japanese language education as one of the  most  efficient  ways  to  strengthen  economic  ties  and  people  to  people  exchanges between India and Japan. As a consequence, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of Japanese Language Education in India was signed in 2017, and renewed in 2023, between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and the Embassy of Japan in New Delhi, with the objectives of (i) training teachers who in turn can train more people, including workforce and (ii) start new Japanese language courses in different parts of the country. A total of 850 teachers have been trained under the MoC for a duration up to 360 hours so far by the Japan Foundation, which is the implementation agency under the MoC.

As  per  estimates  available  with  MEA,  there  are  more  than  300  private-run  Japanese language  training  institutes  in  India.  As  part  of  its  outreach  to  pace  up  the  Japanese language training efforts, MEA has connected with over 30 universities and institutes and have facilitated in (i) channelizing or finding Japanese language volunteer teachers of JICA and/or teachers trained under above mentioned MoC;(ii) providing guidance to the institutes in building curriculum and selection/use of textbooks; (iii) guiding the teachers in teaching methodology;  and  (iv)  connecting  CSR  support  of  Japanese  companies  in  promotion  of Japanese language in 18 institutes.

The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Technical Intern Trainee Program (TITP) was signed  between the  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  of  India and the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare  of  Japan  in  2017  for  the  mobility  of  Indian  interns  to  Japan.  Under  the  MoC, Japanese language training, along with training in Japanese lifestyle, culture, etiquettes and relevant domain is provided to candidates for internship in Japan for a period of 3-5 years.

Further,  the  Memorandum  of  Cooperation  (MoC)  for  Specified  Skill  Workers  (SSW)  was signed  between  the  Ministry  of  External  Affairs  (MEA)  of  India  and  Immigration  Service Agency of Japan in 2021 for the employment of Indian skilled workers in Japan. Japanese language  training  is  a  core  component  of  both  TITP  and  SSW  for  internship  and employment, likewise.

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