UP To Play Key Role In India’s Rs 60,000 Cr ITI Upgradation Scheme

New Delhi, Mar 29 (KNN) Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (I/C) and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, convened a high-level meeting with Kapil Dev Agrawal, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Vocational Education and Skill Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi today. 

The meeting, attended by senior officials from both the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Uttar Pradesh government, focused on strengthening Centre-State collaboration for the effective implementation of key skill development programs.

The discussions centered on flagship initiatives including the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), PM Vishwakarma, and the Swavalambini Women Entrepreneurship Programme. 

The Principal Secretary for Skill Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh presented a comprehensive overview of the state's accomplishments in the skilling domain and identified areas requiring additional central support to maximise impact.

Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated significant progress in skill development, having trained over 24.73 lakh candidates under PMKVY to date. 

Under the newest iteration, PMKVY 4.0, more than 93,000 individuals have enrolled in future-oriented job roles, including Drone Service Technician, AI – Machine Learning Engineer, Electric Vehicle Service Technician, and Solar PV Installer (Electrical), reflecting the state's adaptation to emerging industry demands.

The state has also made substantial headway in implementing the PM Vishwakarma initiative, with 405 training centers successfully skilling nearly 1.08 lakh traditional artisans and craftspeople across Uttar Pradesh. 

Complementing these efforts, the state has conducted over 450 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programs and 145 Entrepreneurship Development Programs, equipping aspiring business owners with critical entrepreneurial skills and financial knowledge.

A central focus of the meeting was the National ITI Upgradation Scheme, a transformative initiative aimed at modernising 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes across India using a hub-and-spoke model. 

This ambitious scheme, with a total financial outlay of Rs 60,000 crore spread over five years, will be funded through a tripartite arrangement: Rs 30,000 crore from the Central Government, Rs 20,000 crore from State Governments, and Rs 10,000 crore from industry partnerships. 

With 3,258 ITIs distributed across 75 districts, Uttar Pradesh is positioned to play a crucial role in this nationwide transformation of skill development infrastructure.

Jayant Chaudhary emphasised the critical importance of industry collaboration in skill development, advocating for industry-driven curriculum development, hands-on training methodologies, and real-time skilling aligned with market requirements. 

He further highlighted the integration of vocational education with mainstream education as outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, while calling for expanded AI-driven course offerings to prepare youth for the evolving digital economy.

Both Ministers concluded the meeting by reaffirming their shared commitment to enhancing Centre-State synergy in skill development, with the collective vision of establishing Uttar Pradesh as a premier hub for skilled workforce development. 

The discussions established a clear roadmap for strengthened coordination between the Central and State Governments to advance India's skilling agenda in alignment with national priorities and global industry demands.

(KNN Bureau)