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Providing Quality Technical Education to Students a Key Priority: CM Sukhu
Expresses concern over vacant buildings; directs optimal utilization
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that ensuring quality technical education for students within Himachal Pradesh remains a key priority of the state government. The aim, he added, is to equip youth with market-relevant skills that enhance their employability and prepare them for emerging sectors.
While reviewing the functioning of the Technical Education Department in Shimla today, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the vacant institutional buildings, noting that seven buildings constructed between 2018 and 2023 at a cost of ₹126.45 crore were still unused. He directed the department to prepare an action plan for their optimal utilization, emphasizing that “wastage of public funds in the name of mere construction will not be tolerated.”
CM Sukhu instructed the department to grade Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Polytechnic Colleges based on student enrolment, performance, and available facilities. He reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the technical education sector by filling vacant posts and extending all necessary support to institutions.
The Chief Minister also called for the introduction of new-age courses to prepare students for emerging job markets, expressing satisfaction over the launch of an M.Tech (EV-Tech) program at Hydro Engineering College, Bandla (Bilaspur) with an intake capacity of 30 students.
Highlighting the government’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, CM Sukhu said the upcoming ‘State Innovation and Start-Up Policy 2025’ aims to promote entrepreneurship among youth. He added that the government is planning to establish a Digital University of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Skill, and Vocational Studies at Ghumarwin (Bilaspur), for which 258 bighas of land have already been identified.
He also reviewed the functioning of the Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam and the Himachal Pradesh Takniki Shiksha Board, issuing directions to further improve their efficiency and outcomes.
The meeting was attended by Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, State Convenor of HP Kaushal Vikas Nigam Atul Karohta, Special Secretary (Technical Education) Suneel Sharma, Director (Technical Education) Akshay Sood, and other senior officers of the department.
