New Delhi, Jul 15: On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Skill India Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed the youth of the nation and the mantra to stay relevant is to acquire skills, reskill and upskill. The Prime Minister addressed the Digital Conclave on World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) being organized by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to mark the occasion. Also Read: Rajasthan Political Crisis: Sachin Pilot Quells Rumours About Joining BJP, Speaker Issues Notice To 19 Rebel MLAs

In view of the difficult times due to the Covid-19 crises, the PM said it’s critical for the youth to up skill themselves because technology has assumed a significant role. He added, “Covid-19 has changed the nature of jobs, and then there is a new technology which has impacted our lives too. Our youth have to adopt new skills,” he added.


The PM said nobody should leave any opportunity to learn new skills and those who don’t wish to learn something new, such a person becomes a burden on society and self.

“Skill is something that you learn - like building a chair from a piece of wood. You increased the value of the wood by doing some value addition, and to stay relevant, you need to keep adding stuff to it. But it is important to expand our skills further. This is known as upskill,” PM Modi said.

It is important to stay relevant so that people not just earn livelihoods but also help others too. He added that not only the youth, but anyone can undertake the journey - learn new things and keep enhancing their skills. “Skill is a treasure that nobody can take away from you. This will help make us self-reliant,” he said.

This day marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of Skill India Mission.

The National Skill Development Mission is an initiative of the government which was launched five years back on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day. The Mission has been developed to create convergence across sectors and states in terms of skill training activities.

The event is recognised by the United Nations and celebrated on July 15 every year. It was designated by the General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.