Human Resource Development
The greatest and the most precious asset of a country is its people as it is they who exploit all natural resources and potentials of a region. These people from the wealth of a nation. It is on the quality of citizens that the prosperity of a nation depends. If we look back into the history of civilization, this hypothesis becomes crystal clear. This was the main reason behind the economic revolution achieved by some countries, badly battered, ravaged and ruined during the Second World War. Germany and Japan were virtually shattered and their economies were in a shambles. But with organisational skill, talent, vigour inventive genius and indomitable spirit of their people they achieved, within a short span, a measure of momentous miracle. They not only rejuvenated their own economics, but also sent their surplus produce to the nations who needed them. They accomplished this task by the optimum utilisation of the man-power. The main hurdle in the path of progress in poor countries is the inadequate utilization of human resources and its proper channelising.
What does human resource development mean? It signifies identifying and developing the capabilities inherent in every citizen to its full extent. Health and education of a person is more important than land and capital. Ill health brings suffering, loss of employment, inefficiency and extra expenditure.
The first priority programme for human resource development is, therefore, extending relief to the poverty stricken millions of our brethren so that they can overcome their physical and mental disabilities. The next task that must engage the attention of those trying to develop the human resources is to provide the requisite facilities for purposeful training of available manpower, so that its creative abilities are cultivated and it is equipped with the skills needed to perform a productive role and contribute to the maximum prosperity of the maximum number. This is where education and technical training step in to play their crucial role and weave a path of creatively so that these people can tread on it to accomplish their goals.
After the available human raw material has thus been harnessed, productive potential can come into play in a full measure. How important this stage is in the development of human resources is illustrated by an Indian example. Often it is said that India had a great reservoir of man-power, second in the world to be exact. Even then, so far as productivity is concerned, the country still lags behind 25 industrialised nations, having lesser population. Why is it so ? The only answer is that the human resources of India are not adequately exploited, both physically and mentally. For this job attitude has to be inculcated among workers and serious attention paid to the introduction of efficient management.
The complex array of goals achievement calls for a multi-directional effort. Fortunately India is realizing the importance of such a programme, and has now set up a separate ministry, for the development of human resources. How much success we achieve in this programme will depend on how seriously the people at the helm of affairs in that department, take this challenge of all time and how much “vision they display in harnessing the most precious gift of nature to any nation.”
