Srinagar, Nov 13: Director of the PM VIKAS Scheme, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Neha Giri, visited training centres in Bijbehara, Anantnag, and Karan Nagar, Srinagar, on November 11 and 12 to review the implementation of the scheme.

At the Education Component Centre at Darul Aloom Noori Irfam, Guree, Bijbehara, run by NIESBUD, Giri interacted with trainees, trainers and staff and reviewed the learning activities.
She stressed the importance of open-school education in helping school dropouts resume and complete their studies, urging trainees to make full use of the opportunity.
Under this component, eligible school dropouts are provided bridge courses to pursue open schooling at Class VIII, X and XII levels, with certification through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) or other Ministry-approved institutions.
At Karan Nagar, Srinagar, Giri visited the PM VIKAS training centre operated by ITI Limited under the Non-Traditional Skilling Component. She inspected the facilities and interacted with trainees enrolled in the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technocrat course.
Highlighting the growing demand for technical skills in emerging sectors, she encouraged trainees to complete their training and practical exposure to improve their employability and career prospects.
The component provides free, placement-linked training in emerging and non-traditional sectors, with a focus on industry exposure, assessment, certification, on-the-job training and employment opportunities.
Officials from the Social Welfare Department, NIESBUD, ITI Limited and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) accompanied the visits.
The two-day field exercise enabled the Ministry to assess the implementation of PM VIKAS initiatives and interact directly with trainees, trainers and implementing agencies.
PM VIKAS is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at the educational and socio-economic development of minority communities through education, skill development, women’s leadership, entrepreneurship and infrastructure support.