Pralhad Joshi hails India's higher education boom, startup surge at SRCC centenary
New Delhi, Sep 5
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday underscored India's rapid strides in higher education, startups, skilling and energy as the country charts its path to becoming a developed and self-reliant nation by the mid-2040s.
He was addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi, an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries that coincided with Teachers' Day.
Speaking to students, Joshi said they were beneficiaries of the vision of a developed India and thanked SRCC for effectively implementing the National Education Policy (NEP). He highlighted that higher education enrolment has reached 4.5 crore students-an increase of about 1 crore over the past decade-crediting the expansion to a strengthened education ecosystem and the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
The minister also pointed to India's emergence as a global startup powerhouse. Before the launch of Startup India in 2016, the country had fewer than 400 startups. Today the number has crossed 2.3 lakh, making India the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. Ventures are flourishing not only in Delhi and Bengaluru but also in Tier-2 cities, with SRCC students actively contributing to this growth.
Joshi stressed that education, skilling and economic growth must advance together. With rising global demand for reliable manufacturing partners and high-quality services, India faces both a challenge and an opportunity. "There is already a significant gap" in skilled human resources worldwide, he noted, adding that India's large young population positions it uniquely to fill this void.
The NEP and various skill-development programmes, he said, are designed to innovate the education and skilling ecosystem and prepare youth for emerging opportunities. If India aims to become a global manufacturing hub, it must simultaneously emerge as a global skilling hub, Joshi asserted. Energy availability will be critical to supporting these manufacturing ambitions, he said.
The minister referred to the country's expanding power capacity-including substantial non-fossil and renewable contributions from solar and wind-as a key enabler, recalling the Prime Minister's early recognition of solar energy's potential. Concluding his address, Joshi told students that the next 21 years offer a historic window for India to achieve developed-nation status. He urged them to shoulder their share of responsibility in realising this vision and expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the SRCC community for their collective efforts.
Highlighting India's energy achievements as a key driver of manufacturing growth, the minister noted that the country's power generation capacity has expanded dramatically to 552 GW today from earlier levels around 249 GW. Of this, a substantial 302 GW comes from non-fossil sources, including about 165 GW from solar and wind.
Drawing a powerful comparison to the Sun itself, he recalled how the Prime Minister had early recognised the immense energy latent in the Sun, prioritising solar power and enabling the nation to reach around 155 GW in solar capacity. By harnessing this "Sun power" and sharing its benefits with the people, India has accelerated its renewable energy journey, creating a strong foundation for industrial growth and opening vast opportunities for the youth.
— IANS
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