Dehradun: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a review meeting of the Technical Education Department at the Secretariat on Thursday. He took stock of the status of technical educational institutions, teachers and students in the state and directed officials to pay special attention to quality education.
The Chief Secretary said that it is essential to reduce the gap between technical educational institutions and the industrial sector. For this purpose, a comprehensive roadmap should be prepared for the development of technical education in the state.
The Chief Secretary said that students completing their studies from engineering and polytechnic colleges should be provided proper guidance so that they can benefit from the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme. He said the scheme provides young people with an opportunity to gain practical work experience in 500 leading companies across the country. They are also provided with a monthly stipend and a one-time joining grant.
He said that to ensure employment opportunities for the youth of Uttarakhand abroad as well, foreign companies and employers should be invited to job fairs organised at technical educational institutions. This would help provide young people with opportunities aligned with the global employment market.
Technical Education Hubs to Be Developed at Five to Six Locations
The Chief Secretary directed that five to six locations in the state be developed as technical education hubs. He said that all essential facilities, including laboratories, libraries and hostels, should be made available at these centres in one place.
He directed officials to prepare comprehensive plans for new projects, including a complete blueprint for laboratories, libraries, hostels and other essential facilities. Instructions were also issued to prepare saturation plans for existing engineering and polytechnic colleges. The Chief Secretary said that good and useful projects should be prepared and that a shortage of funds would not be allowed to become an obstacle.
Emphasis on Strengthening State Institutions
The Chief Secretary emphasised the need to make technical educational institutions capable enough so that various state government departments do not have to depend on outside agencies for studies and consultancy services. He said that strong institutions can be developed in the state that can provide study and consultancy services to government departments.
For this purpose, instructions were issued to enhance the capacity of technical educational institutions and give special attention to the recruitment of qualified teachers. He said that without a strong faculty, it would not be possible to advance high-quality technical education and research.
Secretary Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Uttarakhand Technical University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Tripta Thakur, and principals of various polytechnic colleges were present at the meeting.
