Parl panel pulls up MSDE for failure to set up skill centres

A parliamentary panel has come down heavily on Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) for failure to take action on assurances made five years back to set up 1,500 ITIs and 5,000 skill development centres under PPP mode.
In the review of pending assurances pertaining to MSDE, the Committee on Government Assurances (2015-16) also cautioned the ministry, which has given up the concept of Skill Development Centres (SDCs), to avoid back tracking on assurances made on the floor of the House.
Under the Kaushal Vikash Yojana it had been envisaged to set up of 1,500 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 5,000 Skill Development Centres (SDCs).

"The committee regret to note that two assurances made in December 2010 regarding setting up of 1,500 ITIs and 5,000 SDCs in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode are still pending despite reviewing the assurance in December 2014," the panel said in its report tabled in Lok Sabha today.
This a great setback of the ministry in achieving their ambitious target, it added.
It further said it has been informed that the concept of SDCs has been "given up and at present the Ministry has been pursuing the matter of establishment of 1,500 ITIs".

"While cautioning the ministry to be extremely careful while making assurances on the floor of the House so at to avoid back tracking, the Committee urger the ministry to expedite setting up of ITIs in PPP mode...," the report said.

It added the ITIs in PPP mode must be set up with requisite standards and tieups with corporate sector within and outside the country to set the correct target of skilled personnel to be produced to fulfill the requirement of skilled manpower, "not only of the country but also of the entire world".
The panel also said precaution must be taken to ensure selection of appropriate locations/sites and provide all necessary facilities so that no such ITIs become defunct in due course while suggesting the ministry to review the progress on the matter every week or 10 days.
Stressing on the need for skill development, the panel said "... With the country's rapidly growing economy and vast talent pool of human resources, the development of ITIs and SDCs is fundamentally important to the concept of crucial initiatives of the government like Digital India, Skill India and Make in India for making the country a global economic and skill powerhouse".