Rs 170 crore ITI upgradation in Delhi a top priority: Industries Minister Sirsa

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Aug 28 (IANS) The Delhi government on Thursday announced a Rs 170 crore programme to transform 15 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into technology-rich Centres of Excellence, aligned with the Union government’s Rs 60,000 crore National Scheme for ITI Upgradation.

Speaking at the Regional Conference of Skill Ministers hosted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Chandigarh, Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said: “Under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s effective guidance, we are marrying world-class infrastructure with same-day approvals and digital transparency.”

He said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for ‘Skill, Scale, Speed and Samman’ is our guiding compass. Delhi’s upgraded ITIs will equip our youth with 21st-century competencies so that they graduate as job-creators, not just job-seekers.”

Sirsa said that the Department of Training and Technical Education (DTTE) headed by Higher Education, Training and Technical Education Minister Ashish Sood, will act as the nodal agency for implementation for the project.

He also noted: “Previous governments deliberately delayed the Central government’s welfare schemes, due to which the people of Delhi threw them out of power and trusted the Modi Model of Governance.”

“By integrating EV, AI, Robotics and Green Energy modules into ITI curriculum, we are creating the launchpad for our youth to make Delhi and Bharat future-ready,” he added.

Sirsa said ITI Pusa (Central Delhi), ITI Shahdara (East Delhi) and ITI Mangolpuri (North-West Delhi) will serve as hub institutes, each guiding up to four spoke ITIs on infrastructure, faculty development and industry linkages.

Special Purpose Vehicles will pool contributions from the Centre, the Delhi government and anchor-industry partners, ensuring transparent, milestone-based fund release, he said.

Smart classrooms, simulation labs and blended-learning content will be introduced alongside mandatory internships and apprenticeship-enabled diploma pathways, said Sirsa.

Alongside ITI transformation, Delhi is building an ecosystem of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) at ITIs in Dheerpur, Mayur Vihar, and Pusa, where students are being trained in Industrial Automation, Robotics and Advanced Welding, he said.

Under PM Vishwakarma Yojana, over 1,300 artisans have already received verified training across Delhi ITIs, while outreach programmes like Jan Shikshan Sansthan in Jahangirpuri have benefited 1,000 plus women at the doorstep level, said Sirsa.

Delhi’s Model Career Centre at Pusa has registered more than 7,000 youth, with 2,122 already placed through partnerships with companies.

--IANS

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