₹62,000 crore for youth development: PM Modi launches initiatives for skills and employment
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled various youth-focused initiatives worth over ₹62,000 crore, giving a new direction to a brighter future for the country's youth. The main objective of this ambitious scheme is to take skills development, modern education, and employment opportunities to new heights in the country.
The biggest announcement of the event was the "PM-SETU" (Prime Minister's Skill and Employability Transformation through Advanced ITI) scheme, a centrally sponsored scheme with a massive investment of ₹60,000 crore. Under this scheme, 1,000 government ITIs across the country will be upgraded on a "hub-and-spoke" model. This will equip these institutions with advanced infrastructure, modern trades, digital learning systems, and incubation facilities.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi said, "Our ITIs are workshops for a 'self-reliant India'. Today's ceremony symbolises the importance given to skills in India."
The Prime Minister launched several schemes with a special focus on Bihar. He launched the "Chief Minister's Self-Help Allowance Scheme," under which five lakh graduates in Bihar will receive a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 for two years. He also inaugurated the "Jan Nayak Karpuri Thakur Skill University" in Bihar to promote industry-oriented courses and dedicated the new campus of NIT Patna in Bihta.
The Prime Minister said, “In the last two decades, the Bihar government has provided employment to 50 lakh youth and in the last few years alone, about 10 lakh permanent government jobs have been given.”
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who attended the ceremony virtually, expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister, saying, "This is a matter of great joy. The establishment of the Youth Commission and Skills University in Bihar will greatly benefit the youth. Scholarships are also being provided to 2.5 million students in the state."
In another major step in line with the National Education Policy 2020, Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated 1,200 vocational skills laboratories established in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 34 states and union territories. These laboratories will provide hands-on training to students in 12 high-demand sectors such as IT, automotive, agriculture, electronics, and tourism, thereby creating a strong foundation for employability.