New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched youth-focused initiatives worth ₹62,000 crore at the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh in New Delhi. The event, hosted at Vigyan Bhawan and joined virtually by lakhs of ITI students and teachers, became a nationwide celebration of education, skill, and opportunity.
PM Modi said the programme reflects India’s growing confidence in its young generation. He reminded students that a few years ago, the government began holding large-scale convocations for ITI graduates. “Every skilled student is an asset for India’s future,” he said, while congratulating the youth who completed training this year.
Major national initiatives
The Prime Minister introduced two major initiatives to strengthen the skilling ecosystem. First, the ₹60,000 crore PM SETU Yojana will link ITIs with industries and global employers. Second, 1,200 new skill labs opened in Navodaya Vidyalayas and Eklavya Model Schools, giving school students access to technical learning.
PM SETU and Bihar’s Skill University
Explaining the plan, PM Modi said PM SETU will act as a bridge between classrooms and factories. More than 1,000 ITIs will receive upgrades, including modern equipment, digital tools, and updated training modules. “ITIs are the workshops of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
He added that ITIs expanded from 10,000 to nearly 15,000 in the past decade. Furthermore, 1.5 crore students have been trained in 170 trades during the last eleven years. “This network shows India’s resolve to turn skill into strength,” he said.
In addition, PM Modi announced a Skill University in Bihar named after Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur. He said the university will carry forward Thakur’s vision of education and social equality.
Bihar’s progress in education and jobs
PM Modi praised Bihar’s role in expanding higher education. He cited infrastructure growth at IIT Patna, the new NIT Bihta campus, and upgrades at Patna University and Nalanda Open University. He emphasised that affordability has improved through interest-free loans under the Student Credit Card Scheme and doubled scholarships, from ₹1,800 to ₹3,600.
He also pointed out that Bihar appointed more than 2.5 lakh teachers in the past two years. Therefore, he said, the state not only created jobs but also improved the quality of education. “When the youth of Bihar grow, India grows stronger,” he added.
Women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship
The Prime Minister highlighted the rising participation of women in self-help groups. Their achievements, he said, prove that empowering women strengthens entire communities.
He further noted that the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana enabled crores of entrepreneurs to start small businesses. Meanwhile, the new Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, backed by ₹1 lakh crore, aims to help 3.5 crore youth secure private-sector jobs.
National growth and future opportunities
PM Modi underlined that India’s rapid growth has multiplied opportunities for skilled workers. “Before 2014, India was among the Fragile Five. Today, it ranks in the top five global economies and is moving toward the top three,” he said.
He added that sectors such as electronics, automobiles, defence, and mobile phones are generating large-scale employment. Moreover, reforms like the GST Savings Festival, which reduced GST on two-wheelers, are providing relief to young consumers.
Concluding his address, PM Modi told students that this is a time of possibilities. “There may be substitutes for many things, but there is no substitute for skill, innovation, and hard work,” he said. “India’s youth hold the key to building a Viksit Bharat.”
Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary attended the event, while Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and several Union Ministers joined via video conference.
