Green & Digital Prosperity should be Sikkim’s GDP: Vijay Mahajan

Seminar on identifying key elements of knowledge economy for Sikkim

June 30: Eminent social entrepreneur and expert on micro-finance Vijay Mahajan today strongly advocated the Sikkim government to lay thrust on developing a knowledge based economy in order to achieve the equitable growth goals by 2025.

Speaking at brainstorming session organized by State Knowledge Commission which is preparing the Vision 2025 document of Sikkim today here at Chintan Bhavan, Mahajan said that the economy of Sikkim is presently depended on sectors like agriculture and animal husbandry and also on hydro power generation.

“But knowledge based economy in Sikkim is presently two or three percent. Sikkim being where it is with its mountainous terrain and distance from markets, it will be losing battle for us to have a matter based economy. Knowledge is where we can score by 2025”, said Mahajan who is also a member of the State Knowledge Commission.
Mahajan said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Sikkim should be on ‘Green’ and ‘Digital Prosperity’.

Under ‘Green’ skills we have to give thrust on agriculture sector like organic farming, animal husbandry, installation and management of renewable engery and preservation of environment, said Mahajan. We will also have to develop digital skills on date processing, call centres, research and other knowledge based activities, he said.

Green skills and Digital services will be Sikkim’s GDP by 2025 and here human capital is very important for which the involvement of local institutions, organizations and Self Help Groups is critical besides developing proper infrastructure, said Mahajan.

Sikkim has to improve its green skills and learn digital skills to achieve the goals proposed in Vision 2025, said Mahajan.

Responding to question raised by the participants, Lok Sabha member and also the member of the State Knowledge Commission PD Rai said that the biggest challenge of Sikkim for software and Information Technology sector is its digital connectivity. BSNL has not really been a good way of connectivity for us to the rest of the country and we need to develop proper infrastructure and human resources, he said.
State Human Resource Development minister NK Pradhan who chaired the meeting said that the State government is trying to involve the people themselves in drafting the Vision 2025. We want the contributions of the Sikkimese people to formulate plans as how Sikkim should be by 2025, he said.

The State Knowledge Commission had been set up in 2009 to prepare the Vision 2025 document of Sikkim.

It has also been mandated to suggest measures for making the Sikkimese society a knowledge based society and improve the government educational centres and education sector, said State Knowledge Commission secretary Vishal Chauhan.

The Commission is expected to submit its report by 2011.

source;sikkim express