Yogesh Sharma

Madhya Pradesh had been lagging behind in the sphere of technical education. The present state government fully realised this crying need and started efforts to improve the situation right since it assumed power.

We move ahead on the path of success only when we effectively implement the ongoing schemes apart from launching new ones. Keeping this in mind, the state government chalked out a scheme to raise a selected youth as an engineer in each village. Under this scheme, more than 7000 youths have been benefited during the last four years. Youths were trained as mason, electrician and plumber and during the training period every youth was given Rs 500 per month stipend. The number of training institutes was also increased during the last four years. Their number increased to 33 in 2004-05, 35 in 2005-06, 37 in 2006-07 and 57 and 2007-08.

But even then there is scope of further work in this sphere and the state government is moving ahead on the path of improvement and extension of technical education with a firm determination. During the last four years facilities of higher technical education have been provided at 16 places including Malhargarh, Khachrod, Khaknar, Chicholi, Chhapara, Prithvipur, Manpur, Keolari, Barghat, Badarwas, Mauganj, Bhander, Guna, Mohendra, Mandideep and Sidhi. Many of these institutes have been set up in remote tribal-predominant rural areas. The ostensible objective of this measure is that the technical education does not remain confined to only big cities and district headquarters and youths of rural areas do not have to move to far-off places to acquire higher technical education.

Another important aspect to be considered in this connection is the changing nature of trades. Therefore, it had become a crying need to impart training in new trades apart from existing ones. With this in view, the state government during the last four years started training in medical and electronics in Indore-based institution, electronics maintenance and I.T. training at Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar and Bhopal, training of printing technology at Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain and Bhopal, training of electrician at Niwali, Bamniya, Seoni, Bargi, Orchha and Jaithari, training of data operator at Dhar, Orchha and Nepanagar, computer hardware training at Dewas, training of plumber at Jobat and Nepanagar, training of fabrication and welder at Bada Malahra, Kotma and Raisen, training of driver-cum-cleaner at Khaniyadana and training of farm mechanic at Seoni Malwa.

The state government has also increased the number of computer training institutes for the youths belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. During the last four years 4520 SC, ST girls and boys. In the meantime, the number of training institutes for them has been increased from 32 to 82. Intentions are clear that more and more SC, ST youths are imparted computer training.

A job-oriented training programme had been existing since quite some time. The present state regime included several new trades in this scheme including driving, pump mechanic, front office management, fashion technology, hair and skin care, desktop publishing and architect assistant. During the last four years 14,171 youths got benefit of these specialised training.

The state government has gauged the needs of the hour and therefore, is keeping itself abreast of latest techniques and therefore, upgrading the training institutes in consonance with the changing scenario. The state government has took up the task of improve Centre of Excellence for industrial training institutes with the assistance of the Union government. As a result of this exercise, eight selected institutes were improved in 2005-06, seven in 2006-07 and 11 in 2007-08.

The intention of the state government behind improvement of technical institutes is to taking facilities of the latest techniques to various districts and youth living there do not have to wander about in other cities for acquiring knowledge and education. In the improved institutes training of automobiles, information and technology, garment making, production and manufacturing, electronics, construction and wood working, processing plant maintenance etc. In all, 96 seats were provided in eight training institutes in 2005-06 and same number of seats were provided in seven institutes in the year 2006-07.

Another important decision has been taken to arrange production facilities at the industrial training institutes. During the current financial year, the work of converting all the industrial training institutes into training-cum-production centers. Approval for start state-level driving training institute at Indore-base Industrial Training Centre has been obtained.