'Bihar Will Lead India's Skilled Future': PM Modi Unveils Rs 62,000-Cr Youth & Skilling Push Ahead of State Polls

Patna/New Delhi: In a major pre-election boost to Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday rolled out an array of youth-centric and skilling initiatives worth over Rs 62,000 crore, with a special focus on education, employability and “aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance).

While launching the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU), PM Modi announced that Patna and Darbhanga will be among the first to benefit from the scheme, underscoring the Centre’s focus on Bihar.

The PM-SETU, a centrally sponsored programme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore, aims to modernise 1,000 government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across India under a hub-and-spoke model, bringing industry management, global collaboration, and digital infrastructure into the country’s skilling ecosystem.

Each “hub” ITI will be linked with four “spoke” ITIs on average, with advanced learning facilities, innovation centres, training of trainers and incubation support for job creation and entrepreneurship.

Bonanza for Bihar’s Youth

The Prime Minister announced a slew of state-specific measures for Bihar, calling them a "step toward empowering the youth with skills, education and self-reliance”.

Among the flagship announcements were:

Revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Swayam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana: Nearly five lakh graduate youth in Bihar will now receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for two years, along with free skill training.

Redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme: Students will be able to avail interest-free education loans up to Rs 4 lakh, significantly reducing the cost of pursuing higher education. Over 3.92 lakh students have already benefited from loans worth Rs 7,880 crore under the existing version.

Bihar Yuva Ayog: A new statutory youth commission was inaugurated to represent and channelise the aspirations of citizens between 18 and 45 years, positioning youth at the centre of Bihar’s development vision.

Boost to Higher Education

PM Modi also inaugurated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University in Bihar, envisioned to bridge the gap between academics and industry, offering vocational and professional training aligned with market needs.

He laid the foundation stone for new academic and research facilities across four key Bihar universities — Patna University, Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (Madhepura), Jai Prakash Vishwavidyalaya (Chapra), and Nalanda Open University (Patna) — under the PM-USHA (Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan).

Together, these projects, with a total allocation of Rs 160 crore, aim to benefit over 27,000 students through modern labs, hostels and multidisciplinary learning infrastructure.

NIT Patna’s Bihta Campus Dedicated To Nation

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the new Bihta campus of NIT Patna, which can host over 6,500 students. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities, including a 5G use-case lab, a Regional Academic Centre for Space in collaboration with ISRO, and an Innovation and Incubation Centre supporting start-ups.

Support for School Students

In a move benefiting school-level learners, PM Modi distributed appointment letters to more than 4,000 new recruits in the Government of Bihar and released Rs 450 crore in scholarships through Direct Benefit Transfer to 25 lakh students of Classes 9 and 10 under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme.

He also inaugurated 1,200 Vocational Skill Labs in 400 Navodaya Vidyalayas and 200 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, designed to give hands-on exposure in sectors like IT, logistics, agriculture, and electronics — with special emphasis on inclusion for tribal and rural students.

‘Bihar Will Lead India’s Skilled Future’

Reiterating the government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PM Modi said, “These initiatives are not just about creating jobs, they are about building confidence and capability in our youth. Bihar’s young generation will play a pivotal role in shaping India’s skilled future.”

The timing of the announcement, coming just weeks before the Bihar Assembly election schedule is expected, makes it a major political and developmental pitch — reinforcing the Centre’s narrative of empowerment through education, skill and opportunity.

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