New Delhi, 08 September (H.S.): The National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s Prime Minister’s Scheme for Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) has approved Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) worth Rs 735.70 crore for ITI clusters in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

The decision was taken at the fifth meeting of the National Steering Committee, chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The meeting was attended by Director General of Training Dilip Kumar, Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser G. Madhumita Das, Joint Secretary Mansi Sahay Thakur, senior officials from various states, representatives of multilateral development banks and industry partners.

According to the ministry, with the latest approvals, the total investment sanctioned under PM-SETU has risen to Rs 2,171 crore. The investment will accelerate the development of modern, industry-oriented and future-ready training institutions across nine ITI clusters in the country.

In Rajasthan, an investment plan worth Rs 241 crore has been approved for the Bhiwadi ITI cluster. Government ITI Bhiwadi will serve as the hub, while the ITIs at Alwar, Neemrana, Tijara and Kishangarh Bas will function as spoke institutions within the cluster. The plan was submitted by H.G. Infra Engineering Limited.

An investment plan worth Rs 254.30 crore has been approved for the Medchal ITI cluster in Telangana. The proposal was submitted by Zen Technologies Limited. Medchal ITI will serve as the hub, while the ITIs at Alwal, Shamirpet, Kukkunoorpally and Siddipet will function as spoke institutions.

For the Meerut ITI cluster in Uttar Pradesh, an investment plan worth Rs 240.40 crore has been approved. The plan, submitted by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), designates Government ITI, Saket, Meerut, as the hub, with the ITIs at Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Baghpat serving as spoke institutions.

The ministry said the PM-SETU scheme operates on an industry-led hub-and-spoke model. Under the scheme, infrastructure is being modernised, existing trades are being upgraded, new long-term and short-term courses are being introduced, and training systems are being developed in line with the evolving requirements of industry.

During the meeting, a Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) was also signed between H.G. Infra Engineering Limited, the Government of Rajasthan and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. With this, Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to implement an SHA under the PM-SETU scheme.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar