Lok Sabha Question No. 1070 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Aligning of Technical Education with Industry Standards to Improve Employability
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1070

ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## Aligning of Technical Education with Industry Standards to Improve Employability

## 1070. SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  steps  to  align  technical  education  with  industry standards to improve graduate employability, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the specific industry partnerships integrating hands-on training and internships;

(c)  the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  for  linking  institutions  with  employment,  like recruitment drives and apprenticeships; and

(d) the evaluation methods and recent statistics on employment rates or skill improvements among graduates?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  to  (d):    The  National  Education  Policy  2020  emphasizes  the  importance  of  industryacademic  connect  and  promotes  research  and  innovation  by  setting  up  start-up  incubation centres;  technology  development  centres;  centres  in  frontier  areas  of  research;  greater industry-academic  linkages;  and  interdisciplinary  research  including  humanities  and  social sciences. To achieve the objectives of NEP 2020 ,All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has taken a several  steps including:

- Model  Curriculum in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Space Technology,  Electronic  Engineering  (VLSI  Design  and  Technology),  Robotics  and Artificial  Intelligence  etc.  Due  representation  of  Industry  stakeholders is  ensured in  the curriculum revision committees.
- Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with leading industries and organisations have been signed to facilitate internship, skilling and upskilling of students and faculty members.
- Issued model  internship  guidelines for technical courses. Internship  is  mandatory component of Model Curriculum issued by AICTE for different courses. These guidelines provide internship in full-time or part-time.
- Industry Academia Mobility framework launched by AICTE to facilitate connect between theoretical  knowledge and practical application, facilitating collaboration between academia  and  industry.  Additionally,  it  provides  for  frameworks  for  industry-academia partnership, encouraging mutually beneficial engagements that enrich both parties.

Further,  the  Department  of  Higher  Education,  Ministry  of  Education  is  implementing National  Apprenticeship  Training  Scheme  (NATS)  for  on-the-job  training  and  skilling  of Indian youth. The scheme is implemented by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of  Education,  Government  of  India  through  four  regional  Boards  of  Apprenticeship Training/Practical  Training  (BoATs/BoPT).  Over  the  last  5  years,  NATS  scheme  has engaged over 8.68 lakh apprentices out of which 2.53 Lakh apprentices have been engaged in FY 2023 - 24.

Also,  with  an  aim  to  enhance  the  employability  of  youth,  the  Ministry  of  Education  in collaboration with IIT Madras and eminent Industry Partners have launched SWAYAM Plus platform  on  27th  February  2024,  expanding  its  offerings  to  identify  and  include  courses aligned with industry needs and to enhance learners' employability. The platform provides high-quality learning and certification programs from the leading industry and academia to the  students/  learners  which  can  help  them  in  reskilling  and  upskilling  and  making  them employment ready. Ministry of Education and IIT Madras has signed more than 55 MoUs with the leading industries partners. As on 22nd November, 2024, more than 320 Courses are available on the platform and more than 1.27 lakhs learners have enrolled on this platforms for their Skill enhancement.

*****