Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday that the ‘Business Blasters’ initiative provided seed money of Rs 2,000 to 3.5 lakh students in Delhi government-run schools.
NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia stated on Thursday that the AAP administration is investing in India’s economy by providing Rs 2,000 in seed money to 3.5 lakh children in Delhi government-run schools as part of the ‘Business Blasters’ initiative, which is nurturing “future entrepreneurs.” The Arvind Kejriwal administration announced the ‘Business Blasters’ programme earlier this week, under which students in grades nine through twelve would be given seed money to invest in tiny enterprises.
The programme is part of the ‘entrepreneurship mentality curriculum,’ which aims to create young entrepreneurs at the secondary school level. In an interview with PTI, the deputy chief minister described the initiative as “seed money” for the Indian economy. “When we set up Rs 60 crore for this initiative, we felt it would be the starting point for the country’s economy,” said Sisodia, who is also in charge of education. He claims that simply talking about India would not turn it into a five-trillion-dollar economy.
“How are we going to get to a five-trillion-dollar economy? It’s not only because the prime minister says so. We have been taught for a long time that India is a developing country, and if we do not address the underlying issue, subsequent generations will be told the same “Sisodia explained. He said that the only way to turn India into an economic superpower is to develop an entrepreneurial attitude, which the Aam Aadmi Party administration is working on. The ‘Business Blasters’ programme is mandatory for all students to engage in.
It is not only for commerce or business studies students, but also for those studying humanities and science, according to the deputy chief minister. He stated that the AAP government’s goal with this initiative is to solve the issue of unemployment. According to Sisodia, India has 25 crore homeless people and thousands of jobless civil engineers. He said that having an entrepreneurial mentality would include putting these civil engineers’ skills to good use by building houses for the homeless and so investing in the country’s economy.
“Every day, 18 crore people go hungry, and there are also unemployed students from food science and agriculture universities.” There is no scarcity of farmland in our area. The mentality is the only thing that’s lacking. The deputy chief minister said, “We are striving to build that bridge that is now absent.” He added that a good return on the seed money investment is a risk that the government has accepted. “The new education policy encourages students to take risks, and even new age education promotes children to be confident in themselves.
As a minister of education, I am willing to take the risk. We are providing youngsters Rs 2,000 in seed money and allowing them to invest it how they see fit. “If you don’t make a profit, you’ll learn from your mistakes; if you do make a profit, you’ll learn about entrepreneurship,” Sisodia added. He said that during the pilot initiative, which involved 41 students from a government school in Delhi’s Khichripur, some made a profit of Rs 650 over the seed money, while another group made a profit of Rs 24,000 over the seed money.
“There will be setbacks. Someone would lose Rs 650, while others will lose Rs 2500 “he stated Teachers are being trained, and they will be scrutinising student work. Some ideas will be chosen, and students will be guided by business coaches. The contests will next be held at the district and state levels, culminating in a carnival in February of next year at Thyagraj Stadium, where 100 projects would be showcased, according to Sisodia. Investors will be invited to the carnival, and students will discuss the funding they require for their project, according to the proposal.
This, according to Sisodia, indicates that their initiatives will not be abandoned. Some students will be admitted to BBA without taking an entrance exam if they meet specific requirements specified by institutions such as NSUT and DTU, such as innovation and investment. “We went to institutions and told them that these kids would have been picked from 3.5 lakh applicants and would have actual experience,” she added. Students who pass entrance examinations study from books and pass an exam in three hours, but they will also have practical experience.
“I can promise you that concepts like Facebook and Twitter will come from here in the future,” stated the deputy chief minister. Sisodia voiced confidence in the ‘Business Blasters’ program’s ability to influence children’s attitudes about their academics. “I discussed the project’s conclusion with the children. We discovered that when youngsters gain confidence, they begin to do better in school “Sisodia said.