This PM-SETU update may not look very dramatic at first,but for lakhs of young people looking at skill jobs,this is not small thing ah . National Steering Committee (NSC) has now approved first Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) under Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.
And first approval has gone to Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster in Andhra Pradesh . That itself makes this cluster kind of test case for how this whole industry-linked ITI model will actually work on ground.
Proposal was submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India,which has become anchor industry partner in this initiative . Basically idea is that government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) should not just teach old syllabus and leave students confused,but work more closely with companies that actually need trained workers.
During third meeting of NSC,chaired by Debashree Mukherjee,Secretary of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE),stakeholders discussed vision of PM-SETU . And honestly,this is where real challenge begins,because meetings and approvals are one thing,but changing ITIs at ground level is different game.
Few things standing out clearly here:
- Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster is first Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) approved under PM-SETU.
- ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India has come in as anchor industry partner .
- PM-SETU is aiming to modernize 1,000 government ITIs with outlay of ₹60,000 crore .
The scheme wants to make ITIs more outcome-oriented and better connected with industry needs . In simple words,student should not finish course and then realise skill is not matching job market. That gap has been problem for long time only.
NSC also reviewed progress of PM-SETU across different states . So far,32 states and Union Territories have formed State Steering Committees,while 12 states have started Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to bring in industry partners.
But tbh,industry participation sounds good only if companies stay seriously involved after initial announcements . They need to help with training standards,practical exposure,updated machines and actual hiring pathways,otherwise it may again become paperwork-heavy exercise.
Visakhapatnam cluster will now be watched by other states also,because if this model works,it can push vocational education in more practical direction . But if coordination between state governments and industry becomes slow,students may again be stuck between certificate and real job…
So yes,approval is good news,but real question is still sitting there quietly — will this actually change classroom,workshop and job outcome for ITI students or just become another scheme name people forget after some time…
