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PONDERING PANDITJI |
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Hey folks,
Can you guess what is India’s most valuable natural resource? No, not the mineral-rich terrains or forests, or even its lush lands. India’s most treasured possession is its population!
The fact is, our country currently has a very promising demographic profile. Let me explain. A nation goes through three stages of transition. First, the proportion of young people in its population rises. Second, that of adults of working age increases. And lastly, the number of elders dominates. At present, the Western world is ageing rapidly, while East and South-East Asia have almost reached the end of the second phase. For India, it has just begun. Its working age population is expected to increase by a mammoth 68.4 per cent by 2026. Experts say this is the most profitable time in a nation’s growth cycle. Its economy booms, as a major chunk of its population is ready for employment, and therefore, to save and to prosper.
So we have this great opportunity to present a giant skilled work force to a world that is turning gray. We also face a great challenge. Of ensuring that along with skills we also build minds that are mature enough to know that ‘sustainability’ is the key mantra of the Future. Because it is these young Indians who will have to mould it...
– Pandit Gobar Ganesh
E-mail:
panditji@cseindia.org
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