Government has roped in cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar to endorse the ‘I Support Skill India‘ campaign, in an attempt to reach out to the youth and build awareness on the importance of skill development. The campaign of the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MSDE) is an endeavour to galvanize stakeholders across states, organizations and industries to bring value and respect to skills and standardize the ecosystem to meet human resource requirements nationally and globally.

The ministry’s target is to skill 40.2 crore youth by 2022. It has also introduced its flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the world’s largest monetary reward scheme promoting skill development to those who need financial support.

Elaborating on the relevance of skills and his association with Skill India, Tendulkar stated, “When I was approached for endorsing Skill India, I realized that it is an important component in one’s personal growth that needs to be valued and mastered”.

Did You Know?

1. Sachin Tendulkar is India’s first active cricketer to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

2. As an aspiring fast bowler, a young Sachin Tendulkar was rejected by Dennis Lillee’s MRF Pace Foundation in 1987.

3. During the 1987 World Cup, Sachin was a ball boy for the match between India and Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium. He was 14 then.

4. Sachin Tendulkar fielded for Pakistan as a substitute during a one-day practice match against India at the Brabourne Stadium in 1988.

5. During his early days, Tendulkar would win a coin from his coach Ramakant Achrekar if he could bat through an entire session of nets without being dismissed. Tendulkar has 13 such coins.

6. The first brand which Sachin Tendulkar endorsed was the health drink ‘Boost.’ He was seen alongside Kapil Dev in many of their ad films, the start of which happened in 1990.