voa标准英语2008-Study: India Must Educate Young Workforce to Avo

A new report is underlining the need for India to educate its massive young population, to ensure that it can participate in the country's growing economy. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, experts are warning that failure to train the country's young work force will not only leave industries without adequate manpower, it could stoke deep social tensions.
　

A boy smokes a cigarette at a cafeteria in Bangalore, India (File)

Nearly half of India's billion-plus people are under the age of 25 - the youngest population in the world. Economists¹ call it the demographic dividend² - an opportunity to harness the skills and talent of young people, in a growing economy, at a time when most countries have aging populations.

But a new report released by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Boston Consulting Group in New Delhi Thursday warns that India's young population could turn into a demographic disaster, if the country does not take immediate³ steps to train people poised⁴ to enter the work force.

Managing director of the Boston Consulting Group in India, Janmejaya Sinha, says that, on one hand, Indian industry is struggling to find qualified⁵ talent to fuel its expansion. On the other, nearly half of the current work force of nearly 484 million people continues to be illiterate⁶.

"Forty percent of them are illiterate, another 40 percent of them, they are school dropouts. If you really look at it, there are more than 200 million people who are almost illiterate, not being able to participate in the real economy of the world, which is the opportunity of the 21st Century offers. Think about it then," said Sinha. "If these people have hopeless chances in life, what would they be led into?

The report, called India's Demographic Dilemma⁷, says that India's fast-expanding services sector⁸ will face a shortfall of at least 750,000 engineers and other skilled personnel, in the next five years. It says the talent crunch⁹ will be massive in four high-growth sectors¹⁰: information technology, banking¹¹, retail¹² and health care. It says that failure to make skilled people available will keep most people confined to the agriculture sector, where earnings¹³ are meager¹⁴.

The report stresses the need to revamp the education system in India, from the primary to the university level, and improve vocational training.

Education is mostly controlled by the government and the problems are huge. From villages to cities, the number of schools is too small and quality of education is poor. The school drop out rate is high.

Sinha, of Boston Consulting Group, says the private sector should be allowed to enter this crucial area.

"Even today, education is in the not-for-profit sector. There is no need for it to be in the not-for profit sector. If it was brought into the profit sector, it would become transparent¹⁵, money would flow into it," added Sinha. "The government needs to increase its spending and there needs to be more accountability in how you actually doing this."

The report warns that a failure to make India's huge young population productive will mean that the country will have an army of young people "left behind," and ready to vent¹⁶ their frustration¹⁷ in what it predicts will be "violence and rage that may challenge the very fabric¹⁸ of our society."

In recent years, many experts have voiced fears that rising disparity between India's affluent¹⁹ and poor could stoke social tensions. The government has said it wants more inclusive growth and will try to ensure that the benefits of an expanding economy trickle²⁰ down to the poor sections.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 dividend   

n.红利，股息；回报，效益

参考例句：

• The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。
• The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

5 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

6 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

7 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

10 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

12 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

13 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

14 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

15 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

16 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

17 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

18 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

19 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

20 trickle   

vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散

参考例句：

• The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
• The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。