New Delhi, October 4, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi today unveiled a wide range of youth focused initiatives worth more than ₹62,000 crore at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The projects, spread across education, skilling, and entrepreneurship, are designed to empower India’s young population and prepare them for the opportunities of the future. A major highlight of the programme was the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM SETU), a landmark initiative for the country’s vocational training ecosystem.
PM SETU: Transforming India’s ITIs
The centrepiece of the announcements was the launch of PM SETU, a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of ₹60,000 crore. Under this scheme, 1,000 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will be upgraded through a hub and spoke model. This will include 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs. Each hub will be linked with four spokes, creating clusters equipped with modern trades, digital learning systems, innovation centres, and incubation facilities.
In a unique model, these clusters will remain government owned but industry managed, ensuring alignment with real time market needs. Anchor Industry Partners will oversee training, innovation, and placement services. The scheme also benefits from global co-financing support from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. In the first phase, ITIs in Patna and Darbhanga have been given special focus.
Expanding Vocational Education Nationwide
The Prime Minister also inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs across 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in 34 States and Union Territories. These labs will provide hands-on training in 12 high demand sectors, including IT, agriculture, logistics, tourism, and electronics. More than 1,200 vocational teachers will be trained to deliver industry relevant learning, enabling school students to gain employability skills from an early stage.
Youth Centric Reforms in Bihar
A significant emphasis of the programme was on Bihar, reflecting both the state’s youthful demographic and its demand for enhanced education and employment opportunities. The Prime Minister launched the revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, under which five lakh graduate youth will receive a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 for two years along with free skill training.
In addition, the redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme was rolled out, providing interest free education loans of up to ₹4 lakh. To date, more than 3.92 lakh students have already availed loans under the scheme. The formal inauguration of the Bihar Yuva Ayog, a statutory youth commission for individuals aged 18–45, also marked an important step in institutionalizing youth empowerment in the state.
Boost to Higher Education in Bihar
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University, which will provide industry oriented courses to prepare students for global opportunities. He also laid the foundation stone for new academic and research facilities in four universities of Bihar Patna University, Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (Madhepura), Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya (Chapra), and Nalanda Open University (Patna). These projects, part of the PM-USHA scheme, involve an investment of ₹160 crore and will directly benefit more than 27,000 students.
Further, the Prime Minister dedicated the new Bihta campus of NIT Patna, which will accommodate 6,500 students. The campus features a 5G use case lab, an Innovation and Incubation Centre that has already supported nine start-ups, and a Regional Academic Centre for Space in collaboration with ISRO.
Scholarships and Employment Opportunities
In line with the government’s commitment to youth welfare, more than 25 lakh students of Classes 9 and 10 will receive ₹450 crore in scholarships under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Additionally, the Prime Minister distributed appointment letters to over 4,000 newly recruited candidates in the Government of Bihar.
National Skill Convocation: Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh
The event also included the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh, the fourth edition of the National Skill Convocation, where 46 All India ITI Toppers were felicitated. This aligns with the government’s vision to celebrate excellence in skill development and encourage young achievers across the nation.
Building a Skilled and Educated India
The newly launched youth focused initiatives aim to integrate education, skill development, and entrepreneurship while expanding infrastructure in both schools and higher education institutions. With a special focus on Bihar, these projects are expected to create a skilled workforce that contributes not only to regional development but also to India’s economic growth at large.
By investing in modern infrastructure, industry relevant training, and financial support schemes, the government has reinforced its long term vision of creating a globally competitive, empowered youth population. The youth focused initiatives unveiled today represent a decisive step toward strengthening India’s demographic advantage and building a future-ready nation.
(Inputs included from PIB Report.)
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