Jammu, July 1: In a major push to modernize skill training in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting today to discuss the implementation of the Government of India’s flagship scheme for upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through a hub-and-spoke model.
The meeting saw participation from top government officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education), Principal Secretary (Finance), CMD J&K Bank, and Secretary (Skill Development), along with key industry stakeholders such as SIDBI, NHPC, TCS, IOCL, BPCL, NHAI and others.
The scheme, titled ‘National Scheme for ITI Upgradation and Setting up of National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling’, has a total outlay of ₹60,000 crore—₹30,000 crore from the Centre, ₹20,000 crore from States/UTs, and ₹10,000 crore from industry contributions/CSR.
Chief Secretary Dulloo emphasized the importance of public-private partnership, urging industry players to adopt ITI clusters and align training with real-time market needs. “Industry can play a pivotal role in shaping curriculum, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring employability of our youth,” he said, encouraging MoUs for formal engagement.
He also directed the Skill Development Department (SDD) to engage PSUs and national corporates through CSR and innovation-led partnerships.
ACS Higher Education, Shantmanu, stressed the need for adaptive models and innovative training methods. Finance Secretary proposed a Delhi-based workshop with national corporates to pitch J&K’s skilling vision and suggested benchmarking with high-performing ITIs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Gujarat.
Commissioner Secretary Industries, Vikramjit Singh, recommended handing over day-to-day ITI operations to industry-led groups for practical, hands-on training integration.
Skill Development Secretary Kumar Rajeev Ranjan outlined the scheme’s framework, which includes modernization of 1,000 government ITIs and establishment of five National Centres of Excellence. Select ITIs will serve as hubs with nearby institutes as spokes, supported by industry partners who will help with curriculum design, trainer support, equipment provision, and On-the-Job Training (OJT).
Each ITI hub is slated to receive ₹80 crore, and spokes ₹40 crore over five years. The funding model includes a 50:30:10 cost-sharing ratio among Centre, State/UT, and industry.
The initiative aims to equip J&K’s youth with industry-relevant skills and create sustainable employment pathways.