States » SouthPosted at: Jun 17 2025 2:36PM


Minister announces two new centres of excellence out of 5 proposed nationwide

Hyderabad, June 17 (UNI) Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary has announced the establishment of two new Centres of Excellence — out of the five proposed nationwide — at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad and Chennai.
These centres will serve as national reference points for high-quality instructor training and specialised skilling aligned with emerging domains, Chaudhary said at the Kaushal Manthan Regional Workshop organised by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the headquarters of Heartfulness, outskirts of Hyderabad on Monday evening.
“Skill development cannot have prescriptive templates,” he said that “We must empower states to craft solutions that are rooted in their local economic contexts and aligned with the aspirations of their youth. Only then can we create meaningful impact and sustained transformation.”
Chaudhary underscored the imperative for states to adopt a more strategic, outcome-oriented approach to skill development — one that is deeply aligned with the aspirations of India’s youth and the evolving demands of the economy.
Recognising that quality training is only as strong as the trainers who deliver it, he called for dedicated investments in faculty development—through improved institutional capacity, competitive remuneration, and rigorous pedagogical standards.
He urged states to adopt a decentralised and data-driven planning framework by working closely with district collectors to develop localised skilling plans, informed by granular skill gap assessments conducted in collaboration with expert bodies like the World Bank.
He directed that the CITS (Craft Instructor Training Scheme) certification be made mandatory for all newly recruited instructors, particularly in newly established ITIs across states.
He emphasized that this requirement is critical to ensuring high-quality, standardized instruction across the country.
To uphold instructional excellence and credibility, states were urged to revise their Recruitment Rules (RR) to align with NCVT norms, thereby institutionalizing CITS as a non-negotiable qualification, he said. Uniform enforcement of this standard, the Minister noted, is essential to maintaining parity with national skilling benchmarks and delivering consistent training outcomes across the ecosystem.
He proposed the establishment of a robust grading and assessment framework for state-owned ITIs, to instil a culture of accountability, quality assurance, and performance-driven outcomes.
On the occasion, Chaudhary launched the National Skill Gap Study report—a comprehensive analysis conducted by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER).
The objective of the study was to develop a dynamic framework for skill demand assessment and develop a methodology for conducting demand assessment at the sectoral and state level.
A detailed analysis of seven high growth sectors was also undertaken as a part of the study.
Over 27.8 lakh candidates have been trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) across the region since 2015, Under the Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme, more than 4.85 lakh beneficiaries—over 85 percent women—have been trained, he said.
More than 10 lakh apprentices have been engaged since FY 2018-19 under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), with a DBT disbursement of ₹215 crore in the region, he added.
During his visit to the Biochar Center of Excellence at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Chaudhary inaugurated the first Rural Entrepreneurship Training Program on Biochar. This pioneering initiative aims to equip rural youth with skills across the entire biochar value chain — from biomass conversion and soil applications to farmer outreach and product positioning.
Selected candidates will be commissioned as rural entrepreneurs, with biochar units set up in their villages. Each unit is expected to generate employment for 4–8 people for up to six months annually and become self-sustaining by the second year through biochar sales and carbon credit monetization.
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