State plans skill training for 1 lakh college dropouts

Governor Banwarilal Purohit, in his address during the first session of the Assembly for the year, said that the approach to ensure trained resources will greatly enhance an industry-oriented employment focus of skill development.

The Governor said that the state will launch a special initiative under the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission to identify one lakh college dropouts and provide them special training which will enable them to either complete their higher education courses or find appropriate employment.

“Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of Apex Skill Development Centres (ASDC) in three sectors such as auto, auto-component machine tools, health and health care and logistics and transportation have been signed,” he said adding “two more MoUs are to be signed to establish ASDCs in the Construction and Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sectors.”

Stating that Tamil Nadu aims to become a vibrant knowledge society with world class human resources, he said, “the state’s efforts in this direction have resulted in the highest Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education amongst all the states in India at 49.3 per cent.” The government measures in School Education, the Governor said, is a consistent effort is to ensure the continuance of cent per cent enrolment and retention of students in schools, by providingquality infrastructure, nutritious noon meals, full complement of teaching staff,text books, school supplies needed by students and quality teaching aids.

Claiming that the government continues to revise and update the curriculum, incorporating modern concepts of education to continuously maintain standards, the Governor said the scheme to implement Model Composite Schools with classes from LKG to Class 12 has now been extended to 120 government schools across the state and is functioning successfully.

To commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the state government on Monday urged the Centre to upgrade the Gandhigram Rural Institute near Madurai as a Centre of Eminence (CoE). Delivering his customary address to the state Assembly, Governor Banwarilal Purohit said On September 22, 1921 in Madurai, Mahatma Gandhi took the historic decision to wear only a loincloth and shawl as a powerful message to the world about the abject poverty in India caused by the British rule. “To commemorate this event, I urge the Union Government to upgrade the Gandhigram Rural Institute near Madurai as a Centre of Eminence for Rural Development and Gandhian Philosophy,” he said. The government has also decided to provide a onetime grant of Rs 2 crore to support the activities of the Tiruchengode Gandhi Ashram, founded by Bharat Ratna Rajaji. The Governor promised to support the revival of the activities of the Ashram to further spread the message of Mahatma Gandhi.