SRINAGAR: Union Secretary, Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Atul Kumar Tiwari, today chaired a high level meeting at Civil Secretariat here to review the progress on implementation of PM Vishwakarma, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), SANKALP, STRIVE and other MSDE initiatives currently underway across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Secretary J&K Skill Development Department Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Director NCVT, Director SDD, Mission Director JJM, Mission Director SDD, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Colleges J&K, representatives of SKUAST Jammu, SKUAST Kashmir, IUST, Jammu University and NIT Srinagar besides officers from Tourism, Handicrafts and Handloom, Industries and Commerce and Education departments.
Addressing the officers, the Secretary called for aligning the training programs with local economic potential and emerging industry trends. He directed the officers to conduct short term training programmes through NIT Srinagar for youth in order to make them skillful regarding the emerging market trends.
The Secretary impressed upon the representatives of the Higher Education Department to take advantage of various schemes of the Ministry institutionalized for skilling college going students to make them job worthy. He highlighted that skilling of youth is one of the pillars of National Education Policy-2020, adding that the educational institutions across J&K should take maximum benefit of these courses available on Skill India portal and other platforms.
During in-depth deliberations on PM Vishwakarma, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), SANKALP, STRIVE and other schemes, the Secretary called for remodeling of all underperforming PM Vishwakarma centres across J&K. He underlined that Jammu and Kashmir is known for artisanal heritage and this landmark initiative will help in preserving and promoting the craft industry here.
The Secretary also called upon the officers to optimally utilize schemes of MSDE related to Hospitality and Tourism sectors as the UT is known across the globe for its tourism industry. “Jammu & Kashmir holds immense potential for skill-based growth, especially in sectors like handicrafts, tourism, construction and agro-processing. Our aim is to create inclusive, demand-driven and outcome-oriented skilling pathways for the youth and traditional artisans,” maintained the Secretary.
The Secretary, during the meeting, also commended the SDD of J&K for outstanding performance of skill development institutes (ITIs & Polytechnics) across Jammu and Kashmir.
Secretary SDD, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, gave a detailed presentation on skill development initiatives and their on-ground implementation across the region. He briefed the Secretary about the Holistic Skill Development Plan (HSDP). He also provided updates on key performance indicators and outlined their roadmap for scaling up outreach, ensuring quality training and facilitating the employment linkages.