Enrolment low for lack of publicity – out of 5,361 seats, 1,157 remained vacant in 2016-17
By Our Staff Reporter
Guwahati, Sept 3: At a time when the buzzword is “Skill India”, Assam seems to have faltered in providing the right platform to skilling its youth. This is more than evident in the sad state of affairs prevailing in its Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), considered a major platform for providing skills.
For instance, out of a total intake capacity of 5,361, the 28 functiol ITIs across the State could attract only 4,204 students for admission in 2016-17, thereby leaving 1,157 seats vacant. Also, out of total sanctioned posts of 1,156 in the institutes, 358 were lying vacant as on 31st March, 2017. Further, infrastructures of a few ITIs are reportedly in decrepit state.
Now, all these have put a serious question mark on the overall ability of the State to deliver on the skilling front, a pet initiative of Prime Minister rendra Modi.
The ITIs function under the Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training and are currently located at Jorhat, Guwahati, Morigaon, Dhemaji, North Lakhimpur, Majuli, Tinsukia, Haflong, South Salmara, Karimganj, Diphu, Guwahati (women), Dibrugarh, Tinsukia (women), Goalpara, Silchar, Sriko, Gargaon, Bhergaon, Kokrajhar, Hailakandi, Majbat (women), Bongaigaon, gaon, lbari, Barpeta, Dhansiri and Tezpur.
When the existing ITIs in the State were not in the pink of health and uble to deliver to their full potential, the then Congress regime under the leadership of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had decided to go for an additiol 44 ITIs, 15 of these under the Multi Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP). These 44 ITIs were sanctioned under various schemes since 2010-11.
Interestingly, construction of 10 of these new additiol ITIs have since been completed, but are yet to become functiol. These structures have now started to deteriorate for want of maintence. The 10 new ITIs with completed infrastructure are at Titabor, Golaghat, Sadiya, Biswath Chariali, Rangiya, Pathsala, Dudhnoi, Lahoal, Samuguri and Golakganj.
When contacted, an official of the directorate conceded that last year the ITIs could not draw enough students to enroll. “However, this year, the enrolment has been good and many have applied for admission online,” he claimed.
The All Assam Students Union (AASU)’s Kamrup district unit general secretary Nirod Kumar Das castigated the State government for not doing enough to attract youths to the ITIs. He said there is hardly any publicity on the courses being offered in various ITIs. “So, how do you expect youths to join them? The government should focus more on publicity,” he added.
The AASU leader also advised Dispur to target those students who passed this year’s HSLC in compartmental exam. “As most of these students could not get admission to colleges as the dates for admission were already over, they should be encouraged to join the ITIs,” he said.