THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Oct 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a series of major initiatives worth over ₹62,000 crore aimed at transforming youth employability and education across India, with a strong emphasis on Bihar.
Addressing the event, PM Modi inaugurated the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) — a ₹60,000 crore centrally sponsored scheme to modernize 1,000 government ITIs nationwide.
The initiative will operate under a hub-and-spoke model, linking 200 hub ITIs with 800 spoke ITIs to create skill clusters equipped with digital learning systems, innovation centres, and incubation facilities.
Managed by Anchor Industry Partners and co-financed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, the scheme aims to make ITIs “government-owned but industry-managed,” ensuring job-ready training aligned with market needs. The first phase will prioritise ITIs in Patna and Darbhanga.
Vocational labs in schools to promote hands-on learning
The Prime Minister also inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs set up in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 34 states and union territories.
These labs, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, will train students in 12 high-demand sectors such as IT, agriculture, logistics, and tourism, supported by 1,200 trained vocational teachers.
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Major initiatives for Bihar youth
In a significant boost for Bihar, PM Modi launched the revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, offering ₹1,000 monthly allowance and free skill training for two years to nearly five lakh graduates each year.
He also rolled out the redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, now providing interest-free education loans up to ₹4 lakh, benefiting over 3.92 lakh students so far.
New institutions and infrastructure for higher education
Furthering youth empowerment, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Bihar Yuva Ayog, a statutory commission for citizens aged 18 to 45, and dedicated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University to the nation to promote industry-linked education.
Taking forward the NEP 2020, he laid the foundation stone for new academic and research facilities under the PM-USHA scheme in Patna University, Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (Madhepura), Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya (Chapra), and Nalanda Open University, benefitting over 27,000 students through modern labs, hostels, and multidisciplinary infrastructure.
NIT Patna’s new Bihta campus inaugurated
PM Modi also inaugurated the Bihta campus of NIT Patna, featuring advanced facilities such as a 5G use-case lab, a Regional Academic Centre for Space in collaboration with ISRO, and an Innovation and Incubation Centre supporting start-ups. The campus can accommodate 6,500 students.
Employment and scholarship support
At the same event, the Prime Minister distributed appointment letters to over 4,000 new recruits in the Bihar government and transferred ₹450 crore in scholarships to 25 lakh students of Classes 9 and 10 under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer.
