Ashwini Vaishnaw stresses industry-academic coordination for employment

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that coordination between industry and academia was necessary to increase the employability of the youth.

Vaishnaw was addressing a gathering after flagging off three new trains.

'The requirement of the industry should be provided in college as this increases employability of the youth. Today is a very important day as we inaugurate the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) deemed-to-be-university at 12 locations, including five in the Northeast," Vaishnaw said.

NIELIT is the only university under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Vaishnaw flagged off Guwahati-New Lakhimpur Janshatabdi Express, New Bongaigaon-Guwahati passenger train and Tinsukia-Naharlagun Express from Guwahati railway station during his day-long visit to Assam.

 

Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present on the occasion.

He also virtually inaugurated the Tetelia road overbridge at Dispur.

Vaishnaw, who is also the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology virtually inaugurated the 10KW FM transmitter at Akashvani Kokrajhar.

The new FM transmitter will cover a radius of 70 km with better reception quality in Kokrajhar and surrounding districts, an official release said.

With the launch of this transmitter, over 30 lakh residents of Kokrajhar and neighbouring districts of Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Chirang will gain access to high-quality FM broadcasts, it added.

Vaishnaw said the education policy in the country for years encouraged a mentality of slavery but Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in the New Education Policy (NEP) to encourage youth to bring their talent to the fore and to take pride in their abilities and work culture.

"Making NIELIT a deemed-to-be-university reflects the PM's vision and ability to take Digital India's power to the world along with ensuring the country's place as a leading electronic manufacturing centre," he said.

A semiconductor assembly facility was opened in Assam and now 'Made in Assam' chips will be fitted into cars made in Germany and USA, the minister added.

"The government is committed to transforming India into a leading hub for semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence and cyber security. In line with the vision of the Prime Minister, this initiative of NIELIT campuses aims to prepare a skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of the industry," he said.

"This university is set to play a crucial role in equipping students with the necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly changing technological environment," he added.

The meaning of Northeast is 'New Engine', to lead the development and growth of the country, and so it is necessary that IT-related industries come to Assam and the other states of the region, the minister said.

"The PM said the NIELIT campuses will be set up across the country but he directed me to come here as he wanted it to start from the Northeast which is the new engine to spearhead the country's development," he added.

The new campus of NIELIT will be developed in Jagiroad near Guwahati which will focus on semiconductor manufacturing and electronics manufacturing.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between NIELIT and Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) to collaboratively enhance the semiconductor skilling ecosystem in India.

The MoU was signed by NIELIT Director General M M Tripathi and Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) CEO and MD Randhir Thakur.

The partnership aims to establish skill centres, develop diploma and certification programmes, and conduct workshops in semiconductor ATMP (assembly, testing, marking, and packaging) technologies, an official release said.

TEPL will offer technical expertise and internship opportunities, while NIELIT will focus on education, training, and outreach. Both organisations will also jointly pursue research and funding initiatives, with a special emphasis on creating opportunities in the northeastern region, it said.

The Union minister also reviewed the progress of the semiconductor facility coming up at Jagiroad in Morigaon district and said that an ultra-modern industry was coming up in the state, reflecting the vision of the Prime Minister for a 'Viksit Bharat'.

"The construction is going on very fast and I also reviewed the ecosystem coming around the industry, including housing for the employees. The first plant will come up by 2025 and production will start by 2026," he said.

Earlier, he was welcomed by the chief minister on his arrival at the airport.

"Always a great time with Shri @AshwinVaishnawji. His passion for the future of India is contagious," Sarma posted on X.