Centre allocates Rs 360 crore for special initiative for north-east; 2.5 lakh students to benefit

NEW DELHI: The Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and minister for culture, tourism and development of north-eastern region G Kishan Reddy launched a special initiative called ‘Transforming Lives, Building Futures: Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in north-east. Around 2.5 lakh candidates will benefit from the initiative.

As part of the initiative, students will be provided with industry relevant skill training programmes through a wide array of schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS).

“The Government has earmarked a fund of Rs 360 crore to facilitate inclusive development, nurture entrepreneurial talent, and propel the socio-economic growth of the region,” the official statement read.

The Centre is also making efforts to provide vocational education and skill development programmes to “cater to the demand for skilled professionals across sectors, including agriculture, tourism, handicrafts, and information technology”.

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The skill development and entrepreneurship in north-east initiative lays emphasis on alignment of courses with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). “The event also deliberated on the need of enhancing industry participation in aggregating skill demand, simplifying training modules, curriculum development and augmenting training infrastructure to upgrade their skill sets in ‘earn while learn’ mode.”

On the occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan said: “India is undergoing a remarkable transformation into the global Skill Hub, and I take great pride in witnessing the NER effectively harnessing the array of emerging opportunities before it. Our overarching goal is to eradicate unemployment from India's landscape, propelling us toward becoming a developed and self-reliant nation - an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We persistently strive to empower the local youth of NER by instilling them with not only employability skills but also a resilient entrepreneurial mindset that seamlessly aligns with the ever-evolving demands of industries.”