Secretaries told to engage senior citizens in Industrial Training Institutes

NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering engaging eligible senior citizens as mentors at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) on an honorarium basis, along the lines of the Professor of Practice approach under the National Education Policy.

Key points

• The proposals emerged during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's session with secretaries of concerned departments on July 26.
• The session additionally discussed making Viksit Bharat@2047 a people's movement through wider public participation and youth programmes in universities and colleges.
• Another proposal is to engage agricultural university students in relevant administration schemes nationwide.
• The prime minister additionally stressed a broader role for administration secretaries, asking them to act in public interest and work collectively throughout departmental boundaries.

In practice, the proposals emerged during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's session with secretaries of concerned departments on July 26. The administration is additionally examining a review of ITI syllabi to align them with changing industry requirements, emerging technologies and future employment opportunities. It may additionally explore degree opportunities for ITI diploma holders to improve employability and upskilling.

Another proposal is to engage agricultural university students in relevant administration schemes nationwide. One feasible initiative is installing solar panels along agricultural field boundaries.

For context, the session additionally discussed making Viksit Bharat@2047 a people's movement through wider public participation and youth programmes in universities and colleges. The administration is considering skill development at school level by integrating skilling courses into the curriculum.

Meanwhile, the prime minister additionally stressed a broader role for administration secretaries, asking them to act in public interest and work collectively throughout departmental boundaries. They were pressed to take initiative on matters including Swachhata, Swadeshi, deregulation and decriminalisation.

Taken together, the developments around secretaries told to engage senior citizens in Industrial Training Institutes point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.