21st CENTURY SKILLS: special reference to the need of Life Skills

The way of life and work is transforming rapidly in the 21st century due to various reasons, specifically due to the technological advancement. As a result the skills to be acquired by a person are also transforming. Skill is nothing but the expertise to perform a task. NEP 2020 stresses on certain skills which can be grouped in to three main categories namely learning skills, literacy skills and life skills. NEP recognizes the importance of these skills and lays out a comprehensive framework for their development. In today’s complex life we come across different situations which essentially need certain life skills along with learning skills and literacy skills. The concept of life skill is referred as psychosocial competency, as it is psychological in nature and comprise of thinking and behavioral processes. The major classification of life skills includes thinking skills, personal skills or emotional skills and social skills. Thinking skills include self awareness, critical thinking, decision making, creative thinking etc. Personal skills include emotional intelligence, resilience, coping with stress etc. Social skills include interpersonal relationship, effective communication, empathy etc. As our education system becomes more technology based and mechanical, it is the need of the time to create proper environment for the development of different life skills in our new generation. This paper tries to discuss life skills and its importance in connection with NEP 2020, need of life skill development and measures to be adopted for the development of life skills in students through the process of education.