Planning Commission approves 1500 ITIs across the country

New Delhi, Oct 20 : Keeping in mind the growing demand for skilled professionals in various sectors, the Planning Commission has given its approval for the establishment of 1,500 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 5,000 'skill development centres' in the country.

The Lok Sabha was today informed that these institutes would be coming up in unserviced blocks across the country.

Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes said, "About 400 government ITIs are also being upgraded under World Bank assistance and about 100 through domestic funding."

Besides, around 1,396 government ITIs are being upgraded through private public partnership (PPP) mode.

Fernandes, in a written reply to the Parliament, informed that though the "Government has not carried out any specific survey about shortage of skilled professionals in the country", it has initiated several measures to equip professionals with necessary skills in context of the faster economic growth.

The new ITIs are also being established in the North Eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir and the existing institutes in the region are being strengthened, added Fernandes.

ANI