Two numbers frame this story: 35 and 56. They are J&K's count of Industrial Training Institutes in 2014 and 2026, according to a Union Skill Development Ministry reply in the Lok Sabha reported by Kashmir Life on July 20.
The figures
- J&K ITIs: 35 (2014) to 56 (2026), about 60% growth.
- J&K ITI enrolment: 2,279 to 10,047, more than four-fold.
- India: ITIs 9,642 to 13,856; enrolment 9.51 lakh to 14.70 lakh.
So J&K's enrolment has grown faster than the national rate. The reply does not break the numbers down by district or by trade, so the Jammu share is not known.
New trades
The Directorate General of Training has introduced 32 new-age trades under the Craftsmen Training Scheme, including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Electric Vehicles, Drone Technology, Semiconductors and Green Energy. Which of these are offered at J&K ITIs was not stated.
Skills in schools
Separately, Higher Education Commissioner Secretary Ram Niwas Sharma said in Sopore on October 5 that about 1.54 lakh school students are currently studying various skills, and that most college and university courses have skill components. No scheme was named for that figure.
What to do with this
If you are weighing a trade course, ask your nearest ITI which of the new trades it actually runs and what apprenticeships attach to them. For the investment side of the story, see our piece on PM-SETU: what Rs 482 crore for 10 J&K ITIs would buy.
Sources: Kashmir Life, Greater Kashmir. Photo: Jammu city and the Tawi (file photo), Wikimedia Commons.
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