Guwahati: NELCO and Samagra Shiksha Assam Sign MoU on Skilling

Staff reporter

Guwahati: The Assam government's Department of School Education, has joined hands with TATA-NELCO Limited (NELCO) to roll out a Hub and Spoke model in skill education across government schools in the state. Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on February 26, 2025, a formal Memorandum of Agreement was inked on Thursday, making TATA-NELCO the strategic partner for this initiative.

The memorandum was signed in the presence of the Minister of Education, Dr. Ranoj Pegu. The Memorandum was inked by Samagra Shiksha Assam (SSA) managing director Om Prakash on behalf of the Department of School Education and Pradip Jyoti Nath, MD & CEO, NELCO Ltd.

Under the programme, skill development courses will be introduced in secondary schools in a phased manner. The funding will follow a 75:25 ratio, with TATA-NELCO bearing 75% of the cost and the Government of Assam and Samagra Shiksha covering 25%.

In the first phase, 10 hub schools and 70 spoke schools will be established to offer emerging skill courses for students from Classes IX to XII. The second phase will see the expansion to 40 hub schools and 430 spoke schools. Each hub school will run 10 skill sectors, while spoke schools will offer 2 skill sectors each. All schools will be connected via satellite-based technology for course delivery by experts, and each will be staffed with two expert trainers.

Emerging skill courses will include design and innovation, computer-aided machining, augmented reality and virtual reality, industrial robotics and drive motion control system, artificial intelligence, industrial internet of things (IIOT), additive manufacturing (3D printing), drone technology, automobile and battery electric vehicle technology and home electronics.

According to officials, these courses have been selected to align with current and future employment trends, equipping students with industry-relevant skills to improve their employability and workforce readiness.

This initiative, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is expected to transform vocational and skill education in Assam by providing students with access to future-ready, industry-aligned training opportunities.

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