Craftspersons' children to be provided education, skill development training: Pradhan

He said the education and minority affairs ministries will work together to provide education as well as skill development training to children of artisans and craftspersons The Union Minister for Education and Skill Development made the remarks after inaugurating the 29th edition of 'Hunar Haat' at the Numaish ground in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur in the presence of Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Deputy Leader Rajya Sabha Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal, a statement said. 

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said each and every house of the country has skilled people and there is a need to provide branding and market opportunities to their skills. 'Hunar Haat' is playing an important role in this regard, he added. 

'Hunar Haat' is also available on GeM (Government e-Marketplace), which will provide large-scale national as well as international markets to indigenous products of artisans and craftspersons, he said. 

Pradhan said each and every village of the country has a number of 'Vishwakarmas', and 'Hunar Haat' has provided a credible platform for their talent. 

The National Education Policy (NEP) of the Modi government gives emphasis on ''padhayi bhi aur kamai bhi (education as well as earning)'' and the Education Ministry along with the Minority Affairs Ministry will work together to provide education as well as skill development training to children of artisans and craftspersons. 

In his remarks, Naqvi said 'Hunar Haat' has become a credible platform to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Swadeshi-Swavlamban' and 'Vocal for Local' and providing market to indigenous products of traditional artisans and craftsmen. 

The 'Hunar Haat' at Rampur will be held from October 16 to 25. Seventy-five such fairs are being organised across the country under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to celebrate 75 years of India's Independence. 

A target has been set to provide employment opportunities to lakhs of more artisans and craftsmen through 75 such fairs, Naqvi said. 

The minister said that about 700 artisans and craftspersons from over 30 states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, Punjab, Uttrakhand and Ladakh, have brought their indigenous products made with wood, brass, bamboo, glass, cloth, paper to the 'Hunar Haat' being organised at Numaish Ground, Panwaria in Rampur. 

Besides 'Vocal for Local', the upcoming 'Hunar Haats' will also be based on the theme of ''Best from Waste'', he said. 

Exquisite products made from used and discarded items in households such as plastic, paper, ply, wood, glass, ceramic, jute, cotton, wool as well as banana stems, sugarcane pulp, paddy and wheat straw-stems, husk, Tur, rubber, iron, brass will be available at 'Hunar Haat' for sale and display, a Minority Affairs Ministry statement said. 

Naqvi said that people will also enjoy traditional food from almost every corner of the country under one roof at the 'Bawarchikhana' section at the 'Hunar Haat'. 

In his address, Meghwal said 'Hunar Haat' is the most beautiful platform to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'' and ''Vocal for Local''. 

''Hunar Haat in Rampur will prove to be a milestone in taking forward the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign,'' he said. 

After Rampur, the 'Hunar Haat' will be held in Dehradun (October 29-November 7), Lucknow (November 12-21), Hyderabad (November 26-December 5), Surat (December 10-19) and Delhi (December 22-January 2). 

It will also be organised in Mysuru, Guwahati, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Patna, Puducherry, Mumbai, Jammu, Chennai, Chandigarh, Agra, Prayagraj, Goa, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Kota, Sikkim, Srinagar, Leh, Shillong, Ranchi, Agartala and other places in the coming days, the statement said.