Aims to empower youth with domain and employability skills

New Delhi, August, 2023: To create a robust skill-centric and industry ready ecosystem in
North-Eastern Region (NER), Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Education
and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble
Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & Development Of North Eastern Region (DoNER)
today launched a special initiative called ‘Transforming Lives, Building Futures: Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship in North-East. As part of the initiative, 2.5 lakhs
talented youth of the NER will be provided with industry relevant skill training programmes
through a wide array of schemes and initiatives, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Jan Shikshan
Sansthans (JSS).
The Government has earmarked a substantial fund of 360 crore to facilitate inclusive
development, nurture entrepreneurial talent, and propel the socio-economic growth of the
region. To fuel further growth, the concerted efforts are being made to provide vocational
education and skill development programs to cater to the demand for skilled professionals
across sectors, including agriculture, tourism, handicrafts, and information technology.
The event was addressed by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Education, Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt of India, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Minister for
Tourism, Culture and Development of North-Eastern Region, Govt of India, Shri Rajeev
Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics
and IT, Shri. Jayanta Mallabaruah, Minister Public Health Engineering, Skill Development
Employment & Entrepreneurship and Tourism; Government of Assam. Shri. Maotoshi
Longkumar, MLA, Advisor to Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
and Excise Department, Government of Nagaland Shri. Bhim Hang Limboo, Public health
engineering and Water security, Water resources & River Development, Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship, Government of Sikkim, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking on the Occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Education
and Skill Development and Skill Development said, “India is undergoing a remarkable
transformation into the global Skill Hub, and I take great pride in witnessing the NER
effectively harnessing the array of emerging opportunities before it. Our overarching goal is
to eradicate unemployment from India's landscape, propelling us toward becoming a
developed and self-reliant nation – an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We persistently strive to
empower the local youth of NER by instilling them with not only employability skills but also a
resilient entrepreneurial mindset that seamlessly aligns with the ever-evolving demands of
industries. With unwavering dedication, we are shaping a future where NER's youth are

equipped to thrive. The inauguration of these skill-centric initiatives, as part of the special
package for the NER, is destined to be a transformative and life-altering endeavour”.
“I am glad to launch this special skill development and entrepreneurship initiative for our
North-Eastern states. The initiative will transform lives and better prepare the #AmritPeedhi
of our Ashtalakshmi states. A robust skill development mission is essential for turning
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India into reality. With a
whole-of-a-govt approach, we are working to build capacities of our youth and make India
the skill capital of the world,” he further added.
The special Initiative of “Transforming Lives- Building Futures: Skill and
Entrepreneurship Dev in North-East will include:
a) 2 Lakh skill training under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
b) 30,000 Apprenticeship Engagement under National Apprenticeship Promotion
Scheme (NAPS)
c) 20,000 to be skilled under Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS)
d) Quality enhancement of ITIs under skill strengthening for industrial value
enhancement (STRIVE)
e) Strengthening of Polytechnics
f) Special projects will be taken up for the special needs of North-East region under
SANKALP.
g) Skill India International Centre to be set up to promote overseas job opportunities.
Lauding the initiative, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture,
Tourism & Development of North-Eastern Region lauded the launch and said that this
initiative of MSDE will benefit more than 2.5 lakh youth in phase one, which will make them
job ready for domestic as well as international markets. This is yet another endeavour of Shri
Narendra Modi’s government to make the NER the engine of growth.
Shri Rajeev Chandrashekar, Minister of State, Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship & Electronics, IT said, “Over the past 9 years, our Prime Minister has
worked relentlessly to create a conducive skill ecosystem by laying emphasis on education,
skilling and innovation. We are now looking into the future with current trends that can shape
our skilling strategies. We are one of the youngest countries in the world with a demography
that is of great relevance to global economies. Digitalisation is accelerating at an
unprecedented pace and #Digital will be how we see our future. With the tremendous
number of new opportunities being created in both entrepreneurship and in jobs, the need
for #skills have heightened. Transforming Lives and Building Future is not just a slogan, this
is a mission for our Young Indians of North-East. We believe that the future of New India is
bright and skilling is the passport for prosperity”
The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in North-East initiative lays emphasis on
alignment of courses with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), bolstered by a
digital infrastructure to develop well-rounded professionals. The event also deliberated on
the need of enhancing industry participation in aggregating skill demand, simplifying training

modules, curriculum development and augmenting training infrastructure to upgrade their
skill sets in ‘earn while learn’ mode.
Over the last nine years, MSDE has increased the network count of ITIs to 106 in north-
eastern region. It has trained over 3 lakh beneficiaries and assisted 1000 entrepreneurs
through Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE). MSDE has also trained about 12 lakh
candidates under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in textile, handloom,
construction, apparel, agriculture, electronics and healthcare.
The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has facilitated training to 38,240
candidates across 1,693 establishments in the last seven years in north-east. Moreover, the
centre has achieved significant success in training more 98000 beneficiaries with more than
72% women beneficiaries across JSS which stands as a testament to creating a robust skill
ecosystem in the northeast region, empowering youth with domain and employability skills.