Need to focus on improving human capital: Rajan

INDIA IS NOT reaping the benefits of demographic dividends, former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said, emphasising that there is a need to focus on improving the human capital and enhancing their skill sets.

- LALIT K JHA

"I think we are in the midst of it (demographic dividend), but the problem is we are not reaping the benefits," Rajan said at a conference on "Making India an Advanced Economy by 2047: What Will it Take" at the George Washington University.

"That's why I said 6% growth. If you think that's about what we are right now, take away the fluff in the GDP numbers. That 6% is in the midst of a demographic dividend. It is much below where China and Korea were when they reaped their demographic dividend.

"And that's why I'm saying we are being overly complicit when we say

this is great. This is not because we are losing the demographic dividend because we are not giving those guys jobs," the former RBI governor said.

"And that leads us to the question, how do we create those jobs? The answer to my mind is partly enhancing the capabilities of the people we have, partly changing the nature of the jobs that are available and we need to work on both fronts.