Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday launch a sweeping package of youth-focused initiatives worth more than ₹62,000 crore, a push that seeks to integrate education, skilling and entrepreneurship under one platform. The launch will take place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
At the heart of the programme is the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of ₹60,000 crore. Under this, 1,000 government ITIs will be upgraded in a hub-and-spoke model with 200 hubs and 800 spokes, equipped with modern trades, incubation facilities and digital learning systems. The initiative is designed as government-owned but industry-managed, with global co-financing from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
“PM-SETU will redefine India’s ITI ecosystem,” officials said, noting that innovation centres, training-of-trainers programmes, placement services and production units will be located at the hub ITIs, while spokes will expand access. The first phase will place particular emphasis on ITIs in Patna and Darbhanga.
Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate 1,200 vocational skill laboratories set up across 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in 34 states and union territories. These labs will impart practical training in 12 high-demand sectors, including IT, electronics, agriculture, tourism and automotive trades. To strengthen the system, 1,200 vocational teachers have been trained to deliver industry-relevant learning aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.
A strong Bihar focus runs through the announcements. Modi will launch the state’s revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, under which five lakh graduate youth will receive a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 for two years, in addition to free skill training. The redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme will offer interest-free education loans up to ₹4 lakh. Nearly 3.92 lakh students have already availed loans worth ₹7,880 crore under the existing scheme.
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Further, the Bihar Yuva Ayog, a statutory commission for youth between 18 and 45 years, will be formally inaugurated. The Prime Minister will also open the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University, designed to deliver industry-oriented courses and vocational education to create a globally competitive workforce.
The higher education sector in Bihar will also see new investment. Modi will lay foundation stones for academic and research facilities across four universities, Patna University, Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University in Madhepura, Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya in Chapra and Nalanda Open University in Patna, under the PM Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA). With a combined outlay of ₹160 crore, the facilities will benefit more than 27,000 students.
In a significant addition, the Bihta campus of NIT Patna will be dedicated to the nation. Built to accommodate 6,500 students, the campus houses a 5G use case laboratory, a Regional Academic Centre for Space in collaboration with ISRO, and an Innovation and Incubation Centre that has already supported nine start-ups.
The Prime Minister will also distribute appointment letters to more than 4,000 newly recruited candidates in the Government of Bihar and transfer ₹450 crore in scholarships directly to 25 lakh students of Classes 9 and 10 under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme.
Taken together, the initiatives are projected to provide a decisive lift to India’s youthful workforce, with Bihar positioned as a central hub for skill development and education reform. Officials underlined that the projects align with the National Education Policy 2020 and the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
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