“I have turned down administration (responsibilities) twice, which most people don't know” said MP Varun Gandhi during the ThinkEdu Conclave in Chennai on Friday. Asked if anyone took offence when he turned down the ministerial post, Gandhi said, “if you say things to someone in a respectful manner, if their respect is maintained, and if there is logic in your statements, people are big-hearted."
Listing the four things he would do if he were education minister, Gandhi said, first he would change the curriculum and ramp up the number of teachers we have. Next, he would spend money on skilling people -- 4% of the Indian workforce is skilled as opposed to 94% in South Korea. He would increase vocational education to do what they do in South Korea or Germany, "which is once you finish your education, you can take another three to five years to do vocation education, while working at companies that participate in the initiatives to scale up."
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He said all young people should know that 79% of all government jobs that have been created in the last five years have been contractual jobs. “Those are not real jobs, they don't have pensions, any social security benefits. You can be sacked on one day's notice," he said.
"So, the bill I have introduced says in a time-bound manner, you identify vacancies, you have exams and in 45 to 60 days you give those people the jobs. I put this across, and I have dealt with certain ministers on this. They have promised to create new jobs” he said.
Reminding the audience that when he last attended the conclave he'd asked people to write to the Prime Minister against parliamentarians giving themselves pay hikes, he asked, "Why do parliamentarians have the right to allocate to themselves a salary increase at whim? When I entered parliament, there were three salary increases over three years. This is unlawful and it's not fair."
