Only 18.33% students opt for science education in Gujarat

GANDHINAGAR: Even as artificial intelligence, robotics and other new age technology are gaining momentum across the country, the state administration has red-flagged a possible crisis of a paucity of skills in these areas in Gujarat.
One big reason for the impending skill crisis is the fact that the state ranks among the bottom five states in the country with regards to students opting for a science education, according to a recent National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) report.
As per the report, only 18.33 % of students in Gujarat opt for an education in the science stream.
In such a scenario, the possibility of the state having to face a situation where there is a dearth of new age skills among youth was discussed at length, both in the state cabinet as well as a committee of secretaries meeting which was held in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.
The government of Gujarat is mulling a proposal to launch a new age skill programme to ensure that youth are equipped for advance technology sectors which will create a large number of employment opportunities in the future. The biggest hurdle that has been identified is that the state ranks among the bottom five states of the country where students choose an education in science," said a senior government functionary.
Sources in the government added that possible strategies were discussed to increase the number of students who opt for an education in science. "The NCERT report states that more than 50% students opt for a science stream education in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, while only 18.3% do so in Gujarat. The report says that Gujarat ranks first in the country with 81.55% students opting for an education in the arts stream," said an official.
A note prepared by the state government on the possible crisis of paucity of new age skills in the field of artificial intelligence, robotics, internet of things, industry 4.0. IT & ITESgreen economy, electric mobility and services, which require a proficiency in various branches of science, has identified several challenges. These include attraction for government jobs, fear of exploring new pathways, the quality of high school and higher secondary school education, and unavailability of qualified teachers.
The note says that going forward, 56% of the new age skills talent pool can be sourced from technical and vocational educational training (TVET) setup like ITIs, industry-run skill institutes and the Kaushalya - The Skill University, while the remaining 44% can be sourced from the educational setup like higher education institutions, polytechnics and schools.
Launching new courses like Green and Renewable Energy Production Management, Industrial Environment RTechnology and Management, Sustainable and Natural Farming Practices and the like were also discussed at the meeting in Gandhinagar.