1.2 lakh new seats planned in 1,000 upgraded ITIs

NEW DELHI: Around 1.2 lakh additional seats in courses on new-age emerging sectors are proposed to be added in the 1,000 industrial training institutes (ITIs) that are being upgraded under the newly launched PM SETU (Prime Minister's Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) .

These additional seats will cover over 50 new courses, which are slated to be introduced in the coming years, having special emphasis on emerging sectors such as AI, solar and renewables, semiconductors, electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing and automation among others, said sources.

"This additional capacity is expected to equip youth with job ready skills and make training more practical, industry aligned and closely linked to employment. This will be an important step towards expanding the scale of skill training for these new sectors," an official told TOI.

The proposal assumes significance as estimates show that there are about 2.3 million seats in nearly 15,000 ITIs across the country, with institutions often finding it difficult to fill them as students cite redundant courses, non-availability of instructors and inadequate infrastructure. Last year, the directorate general of training (DGT), which is the apex body under the skill ministry to develop vocational education de-affiliated nearly 4.5 lakh seats in nearly 6,000 ITIs.

Under the scheme, ITI clusters have been identified across 32 states and UTs, with 26 of them setting up a steering committee, indicating that governance and oversight mechanisms are being put in place.

"States are strengthening institutional frameworks and financial processes, while a few have already begun taking concrete steps to roll out the scheme on the ground," the official added.

Announced in Union Budget 2024-25, the PM SETU scheme with an outlay of Rs 60,000 crore aimed at upgrading 1,000 govt-run ITIs in a hub and spoke model with industry participation in the next five years. Of Rs 3,000 crore allotted in FY26, the skill ministry spent Rs 356 crore, although funding fiscal doubled to Rs 6,141 crore.

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