Decent Work and Economic Growth’ finds a place among the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as SDG 8. Indeed, sustainable economic growth can be created only when people have quality jobs. For a country to grow and be successful, it is imperative that its youth be educated and skilled and have access to decent work opportunities.

Nelson Mandela had said “the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”, and it is imperative that these youth be gainfully employed, especially in developing countries. With more than 808 million, amounting to 66 per cent of the population, below the age of 35, India at present has one of the largest youth populations in the world. In the next decade it is estimated that the Indian labour force will grow by over 8 million per annum, the majority of whom will be young people just entering the job market. In this background, the Indian government too has in recent times initiated a number of schemes and policies that focus on developing the skills of the youth.

This month’s TerraGreen too focuses on Skilling of the Youth. The Cover Story discusses National Education Policy 2020 and the advantage of catching the ‘potential workforce’ at an early age and equipping them with soft skills and technical expertise so that once they complete  their formal education and step out into the job market, they can earn a decent living. The story also examines whether we have made a stop-gap arrangement, or are all the technology-driven employability opportunities holistic in nature.

Another important SDG is Goal 2: Zero Hunger. The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development and is central for the eradication of hunger and poverty. The agriculture sector has to become sustainable and ensure efficient utilization of resources such as water and energy in particular. The Feature article in this issue focuses on technology applications in water and energy use in the rural economy to promote low-input agriculture. It also analyses the role of smart water management in agriculture.

As the world and India continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to ensure that in these times of crisis, we do not lose the momentum in our attempts to make the world a more sustainable place and empower our youth.

With these articles and many more stories of current interest, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue of TerraGreen. We look forward to receiving your feedback and letters.