NEW DELHI, Dec. 26 -- The skills development and entrepreneurship ministry (MSDE) is set to create a national advisory body to steer "long-term reforms and holistic transformation" of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), in an effort to align vocational education with industry needs, officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The body, Saarthi (Strategic Advisory and Reforms Taskforce for Holistic ITI Transformation), will be chaired by the minister of state (independent charge), MSDE, and will provide strategic direction, facilitate policy convergence, and enable long-term planning for reforms under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS). Under the CTS, 14,615 ITIs - comprising 3,316 government and 11,299 private institutes - provide industry-oriented skill training to young students with the objective of supplying a skilled workforce to industry. Currently, the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE oversees standards, curriculum and certification at the national level, while the day-to-day administration of ITIs lies with state governments. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) acts as the regulator of the skilling ecosystem, and industry contributes to technical aspects in ITIs such as curriculum development....