NITI Aayog organises workshop in Raipur to reduce dropout rates, impart skills to youth
Raipur
NITI Aayog organised a national consultation workshop on ‘Fostering Mentorship in Education: A Pathway to Equity‘ in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. The workshop aimed to create a national framework to make the education system more equitable and inclusive, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Experts, policymakers and stakeholders shared their experiences on how mentorship can foster equality in education, reduce dropout rates and connect youth to opportunities.
Chhattisgarh Finance Minister O. P. Choudhary, who was the special guest, said mentorship plays a crucial role in empowering youth and ensuring equity in education. He pointed out that the workshop would focus on school education, higher education and skill development, which would help create a shared national framework and help realise the dream of a developed India. The Finance Minister highlighted Chhattisgarh’s demographic advantage, stating that while the average age of the country is 28, the average age in Chhattisgarh is 24. This, he said, is the state’s biggest strength. He stressed the need to connect youth to the economy to enable them to contribute to nation-building.
Sharing his personal experience, Choudhary said he studied in a government school in his village where basic facilities were absent. Many youngsters remain unsure about their future even after 17 years of formal education, he said. He added that career guidance and mentorship can help fill this gap. He advocated for education rooted in local languages and culture, pointing out that children from regions like Bastar have a deep connection to forests and rivers. Therefore, their basic education should align with this experience. Choudhary said that NEP 2020’s focus on local dialects is a step in the right direction.
The Finance Minister also drew attention to the challenges faced by government schools, saying community participation in them has declined. He suggested adopting models similar to Navodaya Vidyalayas and encouraged NITI Aayog to create a platform for sharing innovative practices from across the country to ensure equity in education.
‘Mentorship is a child’s human right’: Dr. V. K. Paul
Dr. V. K. Paul, a member of NITI Aayog, said education is the foundation of human capital formation and every child should have equal opportunities. Citing national dropout rates, he said while 93 per cent of children enrol in primary school, 3 per cent drop out by upper primary. The enrolment further decreases to 56 per cent at the secondary level, with only 23 per cent of students reaching Class 12. He said between 2019 and 2023, 15,000 OBC, SC and ST students dropped out of central universities, while more than 4,000 students left IITs and IIMs. He termed this as a national loss.
According to Dr. Paul, mentorship provides students with personal guidance, confidence and life skills. He called for a change in teachers’ mindset and advocated empowering students and ensuring direct access to technology. He said a negative environment and substance abuse also lead to dropouts. Every child, he said, deserves the opportunity to face challenges with knowledge and confidence, which is a human right. He concluded by saying that India has a rich human-centric philosophy, and the country should create a system where every child receives mentorship. The NEP 2020 shows us the way, he said.
The workshop was attended by Planning Department Secretary Ankit Anand, NITI Aayog Joint Secretary K. S. Regimon, NITI Aayog Fellow Dr. I. V. Subba Rao (retd IAS), National Council for Teacher Education Chairman Professor Pankaj Arora and NITI Aayog Deputy Secretary Arvind Kumar, among other senior officials.
