Updated on: Monday, January 18, 2016
Over the course of three years from now, 10 lakh young students will receive skill training in the field of engineering, according to the new initiative taken by the HRD Ministry, Pradhan Mantri Kaushalya Vikas Yojna (PMKVY).
Under this initiative, institutions have been asked to accord the best possible higher education to the students, along with the utilisation of the "off hours" for skill development training. This will be carried out in all engineering and polytechnics colleges in the country, which are AICTE approved.
Under the National Occupational Standards, aspiring school dropouts living in the college vicinity, who wish to pursue higher order skills, will be able to train and obtain certifiable skills. The HRD Ministry will be bearing the various costs incurred in the process such as, fees for trainers, faculty maintenance cost, placement and post-placement costs.
The Ministry is also working on a management information online system (MIS), used to monitor student enrolment and attendance records, trainer's profile, number of dropouts and its reasons, monthly test assessment reports, and re-enrolment of students.
According to the plan mapped out, the academic year 2015-16 will see 25 students from each of 500 colleges being trained. The number of colleges will increase to 1,000 next year, with each college training 100 students. The college number will increase again to 2,000 for the period of 2017-18, training 100 students each, while 5,000 colleges will train students the consecutive year.
In this manner, a total number of more than 10 lakh students will have been trained in skill development within the next three years.