One ITI in every block by year-end, promises Pradhan

Our aim is to ensure one ITI in every block of the country by the end of 2018 and up-grade our skill institutions with new age skills which are market relevant, he said at the National Conference of State Ministers on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Emphasising on the need for strengthening institutional mechanisms for skill development at the state level and bringing in a more robust framework, Pradhan, who is also the oil minister, launched an array of initiatives.

The workshop saw participation from more than 90 per cent of the states discussing the skills agenda.

New courses for ITIs were launched for the youth to promote skills in emerging areas such Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Robotic Process Automation, Internet of Things, Robotics, Big Data Analytics and 3D Printing.

A pact was signed between DGT (Directorate General Traning) and IT services industry body Nasscom for enabling Skill Development & Continuous learning for ITI trainees & trainers.

The conference marked the launch of new Affiliation Norms 2018 restoring the primacy of State Govt in the Affiliation process.

The norms aim at establishing high quality institutions for skill training in all parts of the country, especially the un-served blocks.

To ensure transparency in the affiliation process, a Portal was launched at the event.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) commenced its partnership with Ministry of Home Affairs for "Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme for Left Wing Extremists".

Under this, Left-Wing Extremists, who have surrendered, can take admission in an institute and given a stipend of Rs 6000 per month for a up to three years.