A scheme of Skill Development Centers for Madrassa students by Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS) under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India was launched in Guwahati today on Pilot Project basis. Dr. Najma Heptulla, Honourable Union Minister of Minority Affairs inaugurated the Skill Development Centers from the campus of University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya via remote video link in four different madrassas in the district of Kamrup, Assam and a Skill Development Centre in USTM. The facility of the Skill Development Centre at USTM will also be availed by the Christian minority in the neighbourhood of USTM. University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya will provide the technological support for the programme. In future MANAS will implement the scheme in more institutions in the remote interior of the region.
Launch of the Skill Development Centers through traditional educational institution is an important milestone towards achieving the objective of skilling minority community with speed, scale and standards across the country. This scheme would bring together key stakeholders accelerating the process of their gainful integration with the workforce of the entire country, by providing them sustainable livelihoods with primarily focus on self-employment.
Objective of launching of the scheme is to highlight the significance of skilling, vocational education and entrepreneurship amongst the minority community of the country and make them feel that by skilling at their door-steps they shall also become an integral part of the Skilled India Mission – leading to Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas.
On the occasion, Dr. Najma Heptulla inaugurated the Maulana Azad Academic Block and laid the foundation of Maulana Azad Central Library of USTM.