Sibal meets auto industry representatives on vocational education

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal presided over a Round Table meeting on development of a National Vocational Education Qualification Framework. This meeting was with representatives of the automotive sector and the discussion was on the subject of automobile industry specific vocational education. Held on December 6, 2010, the meeting was organized by the All India Council for Technical Education, (AICTE). To develop curriculum for the sectors of a) IT and Telecom, b) Entertainment Industry c) Hospitality Industry d) Construction Industry e) Financial Services and Insurance, the Minister will also be holding similar meetings with representatives of these sectors. To develop the course curriculum for this sector, a core group was constituted by Sibal, which would function under the chairmanship of Dr. R. Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland Limited and includes S.S. Mantha, Chairman AICTE, Ashok Thakur, N K Sinha , both Additional Secretaries in the HRD Ministry, and Subhash Khuntia, Joint Secretary in the HRD Ministry. The committee would be submitting its recommendations to MHRD within 3 months. This Committee may co opt other experts as and when required. The conference was attended by representatives of automobile industry including Ashok Leyland Limited, Scooters India Ltd. Asia Motor Works Ltd., BMW India Pvt. Ltd., Greaves Cotton Ltd., Piaggio Vehicles Ltd., Reva Electric Car Company, Skoda Auto India Pvt Ltd., Tata Motors Ltd., VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., Hyundai Motors India Ltd., Rimaco Machines, Siemens Ltd, professional bodies including NASSCOM, ASSOCHAM, FICCI, Confederation of Indian Industry and the policy makers and officials of Ministry of Human Resource Development. The automobile sector contributes to Rs 2 lac crore of revenue figures and provides an opportunity for employment to at least 13 million people.