PM Modi to launch Rs 62,000 crore youth-focused schemes, with special push in Bihar tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a series of youth-centric initiatives worth over Rs 62,000 crore on Saturday, October 4, aimed at strengthening education, skilling, and entrepreneurship, as per a report by PTI.

The Prime Minister’s Office described the package as a landmark step to empower India’s young population.

PM-SETU: Overhaul of ITIs

At the centre of these announcements is PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a Rs 60,000 crore scheme that will upgrade 1,000 government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across India.

The scheme will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with 200 “hub ITIs” connected to 800 “spokes.” While hubs will host advanced infrastructure, digital learning tools, incubation facilities, and innovation centres, the spokes will extend access to smaller clusters. Industry partners will play a key role in managing these ITIs to ensure training is aligned with market demand.

Skilling labs in schools

Alongside PM-SETU, Modi will also inaugurate 1,200 vocational skill labs in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 34 states and UTs. These labs will train students in 12 high-demand areas, including IT, agriculture, logistics, tourism, and automotive.

To ensure quality, 1,200 vocational teachers have been trained to deliver industry-relevant lessons under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Bihar in focus: Schemes for students and jobseekers

The Prime Minister will also roll out a set of programmes specifically for poll-bound Bihar:

• Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana (revamped): Nearly five lakh graduates will get a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for two years, along with free skill training.
  
  

• Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme (redesigned): Offers interest-free education loans up to Rs 4 lakh. Already, 3.92 lakh students have availed loans worth Rs 7,880 crore.
  
  

• Bihar Yuva Ayog: A statutory youth commission for people aged 18–45 to channelise and support young talent.
  
  

• Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University: A new skill university designed to deliver industry-oriented, globally competitive training.
  
  

Boost to higher education

Under PM-USHA (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan), Modi will lay the foundation for new academic and research facilities in four Bihar universities: Patna University, Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (Madhepura), Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya (Chapra), and Nalanda Open University (Patna).

Together worth Rs 160 crore, these projects will benefit over 27,000 students through modern labs, hostels, and multidisciplinary learning spaces, added PTI.

NIT Patna’s new Bihta campus

Modi will dedicate the Bihta campus of NIT Patna, which can host 6,500 students. The campus includes a 5G use case lab, a Regional Academic Centre for Space (in collaboration with ISRO), and an incubation centre that has already supported nine start-ups.

The Prime Minister will also distribute appointment letters to 4,000 new government recruits in Bihar and transfer Rs 450 crore in scholarships via DBT to 25 lakh Class 9 and 10 students under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme.