‘Our apprenticeship promise is like MNREGA, will make it legal’

Allindiaprofessionals’congress chairperson PRAVEEN Chakravartyisamongthekey members of Opposition party’s manifesto committee, headed by P Chidambaram. On the day Congressleaderrahulgandhiannounced the party’s 5 poll guaranteesforyouth,chakravartydiscussed the rationale behind the promises with MANOJ CG . The manifesto draft was presented to Congresschiefmallikarjunkharge Wednesday. Excerpts:

Will the five guarantees that Rahul Gandhi announced on Thursday be part of the Congress manifesto?

We discussed them in the manifesto committee. It is only after a discussion with the manifesto committee that Mr Gandhi made the announcement today.

The first promise is to fill up to 30 lakh vacant posts. How was this figure calculated?

The Central government vacancies are about 9.6 lakh. Then there are vacancies in health services, primary education, higher educational institutions, central armed police forces, courts, and judiciary vacancies. All combined are 30 lakh. There are state government vacancies that we have not taken into account. That is another 30 lakh.

Why are these posts vacant?

There could be various reasons. What we are saying is that we are going to take this up on a war footing. We will provide a timetable by which these vacancies will be filled... The timetable will also be published.

Can you elaborate on the idea of the right to apprenticeship?

That is the biggest announcement in my view. This, first and foremost, is going to be a right. Apprenticeship is a technical word. It is essentially a legal right for every diploma holder or collegegraduatebelowtheageof25. Theycannowdemandproperformal employment for a year and will get it. It is like MGNREGA demand.itisgoingtoberight.tomy knowledge, India will be the first in the world to make it a legal right, which means there will be demandforthisandthenwehave to ensure this demand gets fulfilled as it is a right.

We looked at what could be thepotentialdemand,whatcould bethepotentialsupply,vacancies. Anybody who demands will now get a one-year internship or apprenticeship with a private, public or government organisation with an annual stipend of Rs 1 lakh. But most importantly, this will get them skills, dignity, and employability. It is not an unemploymentallowance.thisisabout gettingthemreadyandproviding them with dignity.

How will you implement it?

Thereisalreadyanapprentices Act of 1961. What we are saying is we will change it to make a right. Thepresentacthasvariousconditions... We are going to revamp it.

Do you foresee any resistance from the private sector?

Asperthepresentact,theprivatesectorisalreadymandatedto take up apprentices. What we are sayingiswewillexpandthescope oftheprivatesectorandmoreimportantly the cost will be shared betweenthegovernmentandthe private sector. During our consultations with MSMES, a lot of them actually said they like the idea becauserightnowtheyareexcluded because they are too small. They want to take in apprentices because it also means lower employeecostsforthem.only45,000 companiesnowparticipateinthe apprenticeship programme. We will expand it to one million.

The Congress has promised a law to deal with paper leaks. But the Centre only recently enacted a law, putting in place harsher punishment for ‘organised’ paper leaks.

There will be a monetary compensation component. It will be in the manifesto.

The party has promised social security protection for gig workers. Will it be on the lines of last year’s Rajasthan law?

We are going with upcoming Telangana model. There is an Act that is currently being planned in Telangana that will improve Rajasthan model.