India, May 8 -- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a Rs. 60,000 crore National Scheme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Upgradation and Setting up of Five National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) for Skilling.

India currently has over 14,600 ITIs with more than 14.4 lakh enrolled students, but only incremental support has been provided so far for infrastructure and modernisation. This new centrally backed scheme is being seen as a transformational step toward making vocational education more aspirational, accessible, and effective.

The scheme will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and aims to modernise 1,000 government-run ITIs across the country and set up five cutting-edge Centres ...