Skill Development & Capability Approach

Abstract

The National Policy on Skill Development was endorsed by the Indian government\'s cabinet to boost India\'s global competitiveness & facilitate Indians\' access to respectable employment opportunities overseas. But the government-sponsored skill development programmes are out of reach for the STs due to a number of factors. This research was focused of the aforementioned concerns about the nature and efficacy of various initiatives designed to help members of the tribal community acquire new skills. The development in the social and economic standing of the tribal community following the skill development has been analyzed to determine the impact of the skill development program. The Bhandara district in Maharashtra was selected as the study region. The research relies on primary data that was gathered with the aid of a questionnaire. For the primary data set, we gathered information from both training recipients and non-recipients. Primary data was collected using a non-probability random sampling method. The research shows that people\'s monthly income and the number of hours they put in at work both increase significantly after receiving skill development training. It is also discovered that the saving habits also enhanced after skill development training. Unemployment rates fell after people received training to improve their skills, and some left the labor force entirely to start their own businesses. The responders\' social standing does not change regardless of their level of skill. Skill development improves the economic standing of respondents compared to non-skill training

Introduction

The text discusses the socioeconomic status, challenges, and development efforts related to India’s large and diverse tribal population, which constitutes about 8-15% of the country’s population and is spread across many states, especially in central and northeastern India. Tribal communities live closely tied to their natural environments, possess unique traditional knowledge, and face significant poverty and deprivation, often linked to limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach is highlighted as a key framework for understanding and addressing poverty and development. This approach emphasizes enhancing individuals’ skills and freedoms to improve their well-being rather than merely focusing on income or resources. It introduces the concepts of capabilities (what people can do and be) and entitlements (the legal access to resources), both crucial for empowering tribal populations.

The text also reviews various studies on the socioeconomic conditions of tribal communities across different Indian states, highlighting issues such as subsistence farming, reliance on forest products, displacement due to development projects, poor access to education and healthcare, and ineffective government programmes. While some tribal groups have benefited from government initiatives like MGNREGA and skill development programs, many still suffer from poverty, lack of awareness about these programs, and inadequate infrastructure.

Skill development and education are emphasized as essential for tribal empowerment, economic diversification, and social inclusion. However, many initiatives have had limited success due to poor implementation, lack of awareness, and ongoing social exclusion. The text calls for more tailored, culturally sensitive, and effective policies that consider tribal traditions, social ethics, and the unique living conditions of different groups to promote sustainable development and improve livelihoods.

Conclusion

In the present investigation, the change in leadership skills, personality, decision-making power, interaction with other community members, or involvement in social events has been captured as an improvement in the social status of the tribal. The majority of indigenous peoples are unable to integrate into mainstream society because of their extreme shyness and weak social skills. In the field survey, people were asked to rate the contact based on its type. After receiving the skill development programme, participants were asked if they felt more comfortable interacting with other members of society. In terms of average interaction value, the Bhil people have it at 4.39, whereas the Mannan people have it at 4.42. The Katkari community had the lowest mean value (3.94) compared to the other communities. This gives credence to the idea that skill development programmes failed to improve the quality of interpersonal relationships within indigenous communities. The Kolam community has the highest mean value of leadership competence at 5.00, followed by the Bhil community at 4.32, and Korku at 4.31. With a mean of 3.94, the Katkari community had the lowest score. The results of the hypothesis testing indicate that the community\'s leadership abilities have not been enhanced by the skill development programme. Among the many communities, the Mahadeo Koli have the highest mean value of decision making power (4.53), followed by Mannan (4.5) & Gond (4.5), with skill development coming in third. The results show that the respondents\' decision-making abilities have remained mostly unchanged following the skill development programme. All tribal populations appear to have a somewhat consistent mean value of enhanced personality. The results of the analysis of variance revealed that the respondents\' personalities did not change in relation to the tribal communities following the skill development. A clear improvement in the level of participation in social events following skill development has been observed within the Kolam community. The participation of different tribal populations in the research area in social activities varies by a little proportion. There was no improvement in the tribal community\'s participation in social events as a result of skill development training.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. Sanjay Chainrao Girhepunje. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.