Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday introduced a range of youth-oriented initiatives totaling over Rs 62,000 crore, aimed at enhancing education, skill development, and entrepreneurship across India. During the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, he launched the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU). In his address, Modi emphasized the crucial role of skills in nation-building, stating that his government is empowering the youth to lead the future with a strong emphasis on innovation and skill development. He noted that India possesses significant knowledge and intellectual capacity, which are vital for the nation’s strength. Modi described ITIs as premier institutions of industrial education and referred to them as workshops for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The PM-SETU scheme is designed to upgrade over one thousand ITIs nationwide, introducing modern machinery and linking the youth with global skill requirements. He honored Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur for his lifelong commitment to social service and mentioned that a skill university named after him will help further this vision. Additionally, Modi highlighted the ongoing GST Bachat Utsav and celebrated a reduction in GST, which he said is a double benefit for the youth of Bihar. He inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs within 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 34 States and Union Territories.
Furthermore, he launched the revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, which will provide nearly five lakh graduate youth a monthly allowance of one thousand rupees for two years along with free skill training. The Prime Minister also recognized 46 All India Toppers from Industrial Training Institutes under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship during the event.
