Mumbai: After the state cabinet decision on renaming the 14 industrial training institutes (ITIs) run by the state government, the skill development department headed by Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has appealed to people to suggest names for the remaining 418 ITIs located across the state.
Participating in the FPJ Dialogue, the minister defended the government's decision. He said the ITIs have been named after prominent personalities including some renowned social reformers and individuals with significant contributions to the society.
Elaborating on the role of the skill development and human resources department, Lodha said the department has an important role in the present era. It is responsible for creating education policies tailored to suit the needs of the youth, engaging in providing them with the required training and employment opportunities, and offering startup funds for women.
These schemes benefit various sections of society, he argued. While sharing details of the last two years about the programs implemented by the state department he said since unemployment has been a grave issue faced by the youths, various initiatives have been undertaken. Training has been the core of all programmes which will help in a great way to solve the problem of employment, he said.
Lodha also highlighted the state's progress on key initiatives, including the construction of the Maharashtra State Skill University (MSSU) campus in Panvel and staffing approvals. He emphasised the swift progress, noting that staff appointments had been cleared and the campus planning was in its final stages, with bidding for construction to follow.
Earlier this year FPJ had reported that MSSU has been functional for two academic years. Universities had faced delays due to pending staff approvals for 262 faculty and 106 non-teaching positions.
Lodha also reviewed the Rs 2,307-crore DAKSH programme, supported by the World Bank, aimed at upgrading educational infrastructure across the state. However, the state has yet to receive any World Bank funds for the project.
