Education A Key Pillar To Viksit Bharat Vision, Says NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri has identified education, healthcare, infrastructure and entrepreneurship as the four key pillars essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Pathway to Viksit Bharat event on Friday, Lahiri emphasised that education and health are critical for building human capital, and the need to combine it with technology and resources to drive productivity and economic growth.

“I am very fond of quoting John Kenneth Galbraith, saying, ‘There is no country in the world where the people are educated and poor. And there is no country in the world where the people are poor but educated.’ Same thing can be said about health,” the eminent economist said.

Lahiri also highlighted that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly its focus on skill development and entrepreneurial ecosystem, is deeply aligned with transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.

Speaking on the importance of entrepreneurship in generating employment, he noted that India needs more people who can create jobs rather than simply seek them.

“Entrepreneurship is very important. If everyone is looking for a job, we also need people who can create jobs for others,” he said.

Encouraging young people to venture into business, Lahiri urged students to consider entrepreneurship as a career path. “I encourage these young students to become entrepreneurs themselves,” he said.