Popular Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Jual Oram ji, Rajiv Ranjan ji, Jayant Chaudhary ji, Sukanta Majumdar ji, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Chaudhary ji, Vijay Kumar Sinha ji, Ministers of Bihar Government, my colleague in Parliament, Sanjay Jha ji, other public representatives and lakhs of students associated with ITI across the country, lakhs of students and teachers of Bihar, ladies and gentlemen.
A few years ago, our government initiated a new tradition of large-scale convocations for ITI students. Today, we are witnessing another continuation of this tradition. I extend my best wishes to all the young ITI students from every corner of India!
Friends,
Today’s ceremony symbolizes the importance India places on skills today. Two more major education and skills development schemes have been launched for youth across the country.
Friends,
The idea behind this convocation was that unless we honor labor, unless those who work for their skills and have potential are respected in public life, they will likely feel inferior. This is a campaign to change mindsets. We say “Shrameva Jayate” and “Shrameva Pujyate.” Therefore, with this same sentiment, ITI students across the country should also develop a belief that they have come here because they have nowhere else to go; this is not the path to a very bright future. And skills play a huge role in nation-building. Therefore, I congratulate all my ITI colleagues with equal respect. Two more major schemes have been launched today. The 60,000 crore rupee PM Setu scheme will connect our ITIs directly and strongly with industry. Today, 1,200 skill labs have also been inaugurated in Navodaya Vidyalayas and Eklavya Model Schools across the country.
Friends,
When the outline of this program was made, the original plan was to organize the convocation ceremony here in Vigyan Bhawan, but as they say, the icing on the cake, the same thing happened here too. Under the leadership of Nitish ji, a proposal came to make this festival a grand festival and hence today two programs were made in one program. One is the Government of India’s program for ITI and many programs of Bihar. Today, many schemes and projects have been dedicated from this platform for the youth of Bihar. New skill training university in Bihar, expansion of facilities in other universities, youth commission for the youth, appointment letters of permanent government jobs to thousands of youth, all these are the guarantee of a better future for the youth of Bihar.
Friends,
Just a few days ago, I had the opportunity to attend a grand event dedicated to the employment and self-reliance of Bihar’s women. Millions of women participated. Today, this mega program is dedicated to the empowerment of Bihar’s youth. This demonstrates the priority the NDA government is giving to Bihar’s youth and women.
Friends,
India is a country of knowledge and skill. This intellectual power is our greatest strength. And when this skill and knowledge are linked to the needs of the country, to meeting its needs, their power increases manifold. Today, the 21st century demands that we rapidly advance local talent, local resources, local skills, and local knowledge, keeping the country’s needs in mind. Our thousands of ITIs play a vital role in this. Today, these ITIs are training our youth in approximately 170 trades. Over the past 11 years, more than 15 million youth have been trained in these trades, connecting them with skills and technical qualifications in various fields. Most importantly, these youth have been taught their skills in their local languages. This year, more than 1 million students participated in the All India Trade Test, and I recently had the opportunity to honor more than 45 of these successful students.
Friends,
This is a proud moment for me because it includes a large number of young people who come from rural India and from faraway lands. Seeing them makes it seem like a miniature India is here. These include our daughters and our disabled friends, all of whom have achieved this success through their hard work.
Friends,
Our ITIs are not only excellent institutions for industrial education, they are also the workshops of a self-reliant India. Therefore, our focus is on increasing their numbers and continuously upgrading them. By 2014, there were 10,000 ITIs in our country, but in the last decade, approximately 5,000 new ITIs have been established. That means 10,000 after independence and 5,000 after Modi came to power. The ITI network is being developed to understand the skills the industry needs today and the skills it will need 10 years from now. Therefore, coordination between industry and ITIs is being enhanced. Today, we have taken another major step in this direction. The PM Setu Yojana has been launched. More than 1,000 of our ITI institutions across the country will benefit from this. These ITIs will be upgraded through the PM Setu Yojana. New and modern machinery will be introduced here, industry training experts will be brought here, and the curriculum will be upgraded to meet current and future demands. In a way, the PM Setu Yojana will also connect India’s youth with the global skill demands.
My young friends,
You must have noticed that in the agreements that we are making with many countries these days, one of the topics is that we need the skilled manpower of your country, new opportunities are being created for our youth in the world.
Friends,
Today, thousands of young people from Bihar have joined us through this program. This generation may not fully understand how devastated the education system in Bihar was two and a half decades ago. Schools were not open, nor were recruitments conducted honestly. What parent wouldn’t want their child to study and progress here? But, forced to leave Bihar, they were forced to migrate to Varanasi, Delhi, and Mumbai. This was the real beginning of the migration.
Friends,
Reviving a tree whose roots have been infested with worms is a feat. The RJD’s misrule had reduced Bihar to that tree. Fortunately, the people of Bihar entrusted Nitish Kumar with the reins of government, and we are all witnesses to how the entire NDA team worked together to restore the deteriorated system. We are witnessing a glimpse of this here today, at this event.
Friends,
I am delighted that at today’s Skill Convocation, Bihar has received a new Skill University. Nitish Kumar’s government has named this university after Bharat Ratna, the people’s leader, Karpuri Thakur. Karpuri Thakur wasn’t made a people’s leader by social media trolls; he was made a people’s leader by the people of Bihar, and they did so after observing his life. And I would like to tell the people of Bihar to be vigilant. This title of people’s leader belongs to Karpuri Thakur. Nowadays, people are trying to steal even this title of people’s leader. Therefore, I urge the people of Bihar to remain vigilant so that this honor bestowed upon our Karpuri Thakur by the people is not stolen. Bharat Ratna Karpuri Thakur dedicated his entire life to serving society and expanding education. He always emphasized that even the weakest in society should progress. This Skill University, being built in his name, will be a powerful means to further that dream.
Friends,
The NDA’s double-engine government is continuously working to modernize Bihar’s educational institutions. Infrastructure expansion has already begun at IIT Patna. Modernization work has also begun at several major educational institutions in Bihar. NIT Patna’s Bihta campus has also been opened for our promising students. Furthermore, the foundation for new academic infrastructure has been laid at Patna University, Bhupendra Mandal University, Jaiprakash University, Chapra, and Nalanda Open University.
Friends,
Along with providing good institutions, Nitish Kumar’s government is also reducing the cost of education for Bihar’s youth. Care is also being taken to ensure that students do not face any fees for higher education. The Bihar government has been helping students pursue higher education through student credit cards. Now, another major decision has been taken. The education loan available through this credit card has been made interest-free. This is a decision of the Bihar government. Furthermore, scholarships for students have also been increased from 1,800 to 3,600.
Friends,
Today, India is one of the world’s youngest countries. And Bihar is among the states with the highest youth population. Therefore, when the potential of Bihar’s youth increases, the strength of the country naturally increases as well. The NDA government is working with full commitment to further enhance the potential of Bihar’s youth. Compared to the RJD-Congress regime, Bihar’s education budget has been increased many times. Today, there is a school in almost every village and hamlet in Bihar, and the number of engineering and medical colleges has also increased many times. Recently, the central government approved Kendriya Vidyalayas for 19 districts of Bihar. There was a time when Bihar lacked even international-level sports infrastructure. Today, national and international sports events are being held in Bihar.
Friends,
The Bihar government has provided employment to 5 million young people in Bihar over the past two decades. In just the past few years, nearly 1 million permanent government jobs have been provided to Bihar’s youth. Just look at the education department, where teacher recruitment is taking place on a massive scale. In the past two years alone, more than 250,000 teachers have been appointed in Bihar. This has provided jobs to young people and raised the level of the education system.
Friends,
The Bihar government is now working towards new goals. The state government has created twice as many jobs in the past 20 years, as Nitish Kumar recently told us in his speech. The goal is to create twice as many jobs in the next five years. The commitment is to ensure that Bihar’s youth find jobs within Bihar.
Friends,
This is also a time of double bonus for the youth of Bihar. A GST savings festival is currently underway across the country. Someone told me that the youth of Bihar are very happy with the reduction in GST on bikes and scooters. Many have even planned to purchase them this Dhanteras. I also congratulate the youth of Bihar and the country on the reduction in GST on most of the items they need.
Friends,
When skills improve, the country becomes self-reliant, and exports grow, employment opportunities also increase. Before 2014, India was considered a fragile five economy. This meant that growth was low and employment was scarce. Today, India is moving towards becoming a top three economy. This means that manufacturing is growing, and employment is increasing. Manufacturing and exports have also seen unprecedented growth in the mobile phone, electronics, automobile, and defense sectors. From large industries to our MSMEs, unprecedented employment has been created. All of this has greatly benefited our youth, especially those skilled in ITIs. The Mudra scheme has also helped millions of young people start their own businesses. The Government of India has recently implemented the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana (Prime Minister’s Development India Employment Scheme), worth ₹1 lakh crore. This will help approximately 35 million young people in the country find employment in the private sector.
Friends,
This time is filled with opportunities for every youth of the country. There may be alternatives to everything, but there is no alternative to skill, innovation, and hard work. All of you young people of India possess all of this. Your strength will become the strength of a developed India. With this belief, ITI youth from across the country have joined me. And I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you for the many new gifts that the Bihar government has given to the youth of Bihar. Thank you very much.
