Lok Sabha Question No. 2650 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Low Enrolments in ITIs
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Amrinder Singh Raja Warring

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 2650

ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025

## LOW ENROLMENTS IN ITIs

## 2650: SHRI AMRINDER SINGH RAJA WARRING

Will the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  is  cognizant  of  the  low  enrolment  rates  in  Government  and private  ITIs  as  reported  by  various  Standing  Committee  i.e.    Labour,  Textiles  and  Skill Development, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the  details  of  steps  being  taken  to  address  key  factors  contributing  to  low  enrolment percentages, for Government as well as private ITIs;

(c) whether the Government has implemented measures to ensure affordable fee structures in  private  ITIs  and  promote  ITIs  in  rural  areas  to  improve  accessibility,  if  so,  the  details thereof;

(d) whether the Directorate General of Training (DGT) is monitoring underperforming ITIs, if so, details and the corrective measures taken in this regard; and

(e) the specific initiatives being undertaken to enhance the employability of ITI graduates to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in the country?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) &  (b)  Sir,  the  Directorate  General  of  Training  (DGT),  under  the  Ministry  of  Skill Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  implements  the  Craftsmen  Training  Scheme (CTS) through a country wide network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for the youth of the country.

ITIs have since long, been providing a steady flow of skilled manpower in different trades for the domestic  industry.  In  ITIs,  Craftsmen  training  is provided  in 168  National  Skill Qualification  Framework  (NSQF)  aligned  trades.  Each  trade  has  a  dedicated  course curriculum. The duration of training ranges from six months to two years. The courses have been designed to impart basic skills and knowledge in the trades so as to prepare trainee for employment as a semi-skilled worker.

At  present,  there  are  14,612  ITIs  established  in  the  country,  out  of  which,  3,316  are Government and 11,296 are Private ITIs.

Establishment  and  day  to  day  administration  of  ITIs  comes  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the State Government, while the policies such as setting the criterion for affiliation, conducting the examination along with certification and designing curriculum are the responsibilities of the Central Government. State Governments and UT Administrations admit trainees in ITIs as per the academic calendar issued by DGT. However, issue of low enrolment in ITIs is being  monitored  closely  by  DGT  and  following  steps  have  been  taken  to  increase  the enrolment in ITIs:

- i. State  Skill  Development  &  Entrepreneurship  Committees  (SSDEC)  have  been constituted at each State/UT level to ensure wide publicity in local schools, with intent to reach out to the students completing class X to join ITIs.
- ii. SSDEC is also entrusted with responsibility to make efforts for filling up vacant seats by walk-in admission of eligible candidates.
- iii. The curriculum  of courses  under CTS is regularly updated  in consultation  with  the industries to incorporate the latest technological advancements  and  industry requirements, ensuring that the skills imparted to trainees remain relevant and that ITIs continue to be aspirational.
- iv. DGT has launched Data-Driven Grading Mechanism (DDGM) which evaluates and grades  all  ITIs  based  on  predefined  parameters.  Enrolment  percentage  has  been made  one  of  the  parameters  to  encourage  ITIs  to  improve  trainee  enrolment  and participation.
- v. Every year, admission calendar of CTS is provided well in advance before start of each training session to enable State/UTs for maximum utilization of seats.
- vi. Apart  from  these,  regular  stakeholder  consultations  are  also  done  to  improve enrolment of trainees in ITIs.

(c) Sir, DGT has issued guidelines for normative fee to be charged by Private ITIs. These guidelines are designed to  ensure  a reasonable  and affordable fee structure for trainees, promoting equitable access to quality vocational training across the country. To encourage the  establishment  of  ITIs  in  rural  areas  and  improve  accessibility,  the  normative  fee structure has been kept uniform for ITIs operating both in rural and urban regions.

At present, there are 14,612 ITIs established nationwide, out of which 10,952 are located in rural areas.

(d)  Sir,  DGT  has  implemented  the  Data-Driven  Grading  Mechanism  (DDGM),  which automatically evaluates  and  grades all ITIs based  on  predefined parameters. This mechanism helps identify underperforming ITIs and enables targeted corrective measures to improve their performance.

Apart from this, DGT has recently de-affiliated 21,069 units, comprising of 4.49 lakh seats in ITIs, which were lying vacant from the last 6 academic sessions (2018-19 to 2023-24). This step  will  significantly  improve  the  enrolment  percentage  both  in  Government  and  Private ITIs.

(e) The  curriculum  of  courses  under  CTS  is  regularly  updated  in  consultation  with  the industries to incorporate the latest technological advancements and industry requirements, ensuring  that  the  skills  imparted  to  trainees  remain  relevant  and  that  ITIs  continue  to  be aspirational.  Apart  from  this,  DGT  has  undertaken  following  initiatives  to  enhance  the employability of ITI trainees.

- i. Each course under the CTS includes a compulsory subject on Employability Skills. This  module  focuses  on  essential  skills  such  as  behaviour,  communication,  IT proficiency,  work  ethics,  and  other  attributes  that  enhance  a  trainee's  ability  to effectively work within a team and thrive in a professional environment.
2. DGT has introduced Dual System of Training (DST) Scheme wherein a large portion
- ii. of training is 'hands on' and is provided in the industry itself.

In the DST framework, On-the-Job Training (OJT) for a period of up to 6-12 months is conducted within the industries for courses of a total duration of 1 or 2 years. This immersive  approach  integrates  theoretical  learning  in  ITIs  with  practical  hands-on experience gained in the industry.

*****