House turns down Bill seeking mandatory vocational education in J&K

Srinagar, Oct 28: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday rejected a private member’s bill seeking to make vocational and skilled education compulsory across the Union Territory, even as the government acknowledged the need to upgrade youth skill sets to enhance employability.

The bill, titled Private Member’s Bill No. 14, was moved by BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia. It proposed that vocational and skill-based training be integrated into the formal education system and that modern courses be introduced at the higher secondary level to align education with changing job market demands.

Mankotia said that J&K’s education system must adapt to industry needs to address the widening gap between academic learning and employability. He added that the government’s substantial investments in ITIs and polytechnics should translate into actual job opportunities for local youth.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who also holds the Finance and Planning portfolio, acknowledged the intent behind the bill but said the proposal was redundant since provisions for vocational and skill-based education already existed under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Choudhary described the bill as “a genuine initiative” and agreed that reforms were necessary. “We need to train our youth and equip them with skills that will help them secure jobs. Many ITI courses have lost relevance over time,” he said, adding that a committee has been directed to review and update the syllabus and training modules in ITIs.

He said over 400 ITIs and polytechnics are currently operational under the J&K Skill Development Mission, but enrolment and employability have both declined in recent years.

While acknowledging the importance of skill development, the Deputy CM urged Mankotia to share his suggestions with the government so they could be incorporated into ongoing reforms and implementation strategies.

Despite his insistence, Mankotia’s proposal was turned down through a voice vote after the government maintained that similar initiatives were already underway under NEP 2020.