Awards were presented by Shri Srinivas Katikithala, Secy, MoHUA to Shri K.P. Mahadevaswamy. CMD, NBCC.

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The key objective of the workshop was to guide and support State Boards in completing their applications for NCVET recognition as Dual Category Awarding Bodies — a status that authorises them to conduct both training and assessment for vocational courses, aligned with NSQF standards. Unlike standard Awarding Bodies that only conduct training and certify, Dual Category ABs are empowered to offer end-to-end vocational education services including assessment of learners, thereby placing the State Boards at the heart of the skilling ecosystem in their respective states.

The Dual Category Awarding Body model brings multiple advantages. It offers government endorsement in the national vocational education and training (VET) ecosystem, provides access to NCVET-aligned qualifications, improves recognition among employers and higher education institutions, and allows school boards to expand the scope and quality of their educational offerings. With the help of frameworks such as the National Credit Framework, Academic Bank of Credits, and National Curriculum Framework, State Boards will now be better positioned to design, deliver, and assess courses till NSQF 4 — levels most relevant for grassroots skilling and employment.

Addressing the workshop, Shri Rajit Punhani, Secretary, MSDE, said, “As we move to elevate the profile of NCVET, our aim is not only to expand its reach but to ensure it becomes a benchmark of quality and integrity in the skills ecosystem. With State Boards now stepping into the role of Dual Category Awarding Bodies, the responsibility is immense. It is no longer just about conducting examinations, but about upholding high standards in vocational training, pedagogy, and outcomes. This is a moment to redefine our collective identity—to make every training course and every certificate issued stand for excellence.”

Through a series of structured sessions, participants were introduced to NCVET regulations, and the benefits and responsibilities of Dual Category recognition. The workshop also included a dedicated hands-on segment where NCVET consultants provided one-on-one technical support and live demonstrations to help States complete their applications on the spot. As a result, 24 States successfully initiated the NCVET recognition process as Dual Category Awarding Bodies, and 06 States—Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Nagaland— completed and submitted their application forms.

During the workshop, the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) shared its experiences as a case study, offering practical insights into the onboarding journey.

The workshop was graced by Ms. Sonal Mishra, Additional Secretary, MSDE, Ms. Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary, DoSE&L, Dr. Vinita Agarwal, Executive Member, NCVET, and Dr. Neena Pahuja, Executive Member, NCVET.

This workshop underscored the government’s coordinated push to strengthen vocational pathways from within the school system and ensure State Boards are well-equipped to take on this strategic role. The event also served as the culmination of a series of virtual consultations, state-specific discussions, and coordination meetings that had been held over the past few weeks.

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The program trained 28 nominated officers from MSDE’s field institutions—including DGT, RDSDEs, NSTIs, NIMI, CSTARI, and NCVET—as Master Trainers. These officers were trained by Shri Pritam Dutta, Director, MSDE, and Shri T. Ragulan, Director, CSTARI, both of whom were empanelled as Lead Trainers by CBC in May 2025.

Over three intensive days, the training equipped officers with tools to foster a spirit of Seva-Bhav (spirit of service), promote purpose-driven public service, and deepen inter-institutional collaboration. Designed around four structured modules, the training focused on realigning mindsets, encouraging inter-departmental collaboration, and strengthening the sense of accountability among officials. Through case discussions, peer-sharing, and reflective dialogue, participants explored how they could contribute more meaningfully to public service delivery.

These 28 officers will now act as catalysts for change by conducting one-day Seva-Bhav workshops in their respective field institutions, ensuring the message of citizen-first service percolates to every official across the MSDE ecosystem.

Reflecting on the session, Shri Rajit Punhani, Secretary, MSDE, stated, “The Rashtriya Karmayogi Seva-Bhav training is a vital step towards building a more responsive, empathetic, and citizen-first administration. It goes beyond technical capacity to nurture purpose-driven governance. By instilling the spirit of service among officials, we are not only improving public service delivery but also shaping a future-ready, values-based workforce aligned with our national vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.”

During the closing session, Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, Director General (Training), and Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary, MSDE, addressed the participants and highlighted the strategic importance of this training in shaping an empathetic, responsive and mission-oriented workforce. They also interacted with the participants, appreciating their feedback and commitment to implementing the Seva-Bhav ethos at grassroots levels.

Part of the larger Mission Karmayogi framework, this training aims to foster a deep sense of Seva-Bhav (spirit of service) among central government officials by shifting focus from routine tasks to purpose-driven public service.

With the successful completion of this phase, MSDE continues to lead the transformation of governance culture through sustained investments in human capital development—paving the way for an empowered and service-oriented bureaucracy.

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Opening the session, Ms. Sonal Mishra, Additional Secretary, MSDE, emphasized the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with demographic trends, technological shifts, and emerging industry needs. She outlined five key focus areas for developing human capital for Viksit Bharat: Skilling for all, Filling the skill-employment gap, Demand-based skilling aligned with industry requirements, Strengthening service delivery systems, and Re-skilling and up-skilling of the existing workforce.

Addressing the workshop, Shri Rajit Punhani, Secretary, MSDE, said, “Skill training is the cornerstone of our vision for Viksit Bharat @2047. We must ensure that every youth and working professional is equipped with the right skills to contribute meaningfully to both organizational growth and the nation’s development. Our focus must be on three key pillars—agriculture skilling, ITI upgradation, and future skills. Integration of agri-skilling into mainstream education will empower rural youth and make agriculture a viable, future-ready career path. The ITI upgradation will help us transform these institutions into dynamic skilling hubs aligned with evolving industry needs. Emphasis on future skills will enable our workforce to stay competitive in a rapidly changing global landscape. Above all, we must focus on making skilling aspirational—something that excites, empowers, and elevates the aspirations of our youth.”

Shri Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General, DARE, noted the central role of agriculture in India’s economy and emphasized the need to position skilling in agriculture and allied sectors as a national priority. He proposed transforming Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) into skill and incubation hubs that not only train farmers but also support rural youth through entrepreneurship handholding.

A detailed presentation on the recently approved ₹60,000 crore ITI Upgradation Scheme was delivered by the Directorate General of Training (DGT), outlining the Ministry’s roadmap to transform ITIs into modern, industry-aligned skilling hubs. The presentation showcased key components of the scheme and the strategic direction for its implementation across states. During the open discussion that followed, state officials shared progress made on the ground—including industry tie-ups, identification of regional skill clusters, and efforts to modernize infrastructure. At the same time, they also highlighted critical challenges, such as difficulty in onboarding private partners in smaller states, faculty shortages, and the need for increased industry engagement to ensure the sustainability and relevance of upgraded ITIs.

The workshop further delved deeper into five thematic sessions- Skilling for All, Filling the Skill–Employment Gap, Demand-Based Skilling with Industry Alignment, Strengthening Service Delivery, and Reskilling and Upskilling, with active participation from states including Karnataka, Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, and representatives from various companies.

The states presented their best practices and innovative skilling models at the workshop, showcasing a diverse range of approaches to developing a future-ready workforce. Karnataka and Odisha shared inclusive skilling initiatives under the theme “Skilling for All”, while Assam contributed its perspectives on bridging the skill–employment gap. Uttar Pradesh and Tripura highlighted efforts towards demand-based skilling with a strong focus on industry alignment, and West Bengal elaborated on strategies to strengthen service delivery mechanisms at the grassroots level. These presentations reflected the regional diversity and shared commitment across states toward the national skilling agenda.

As part of the preparations for the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries under the theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, all States and Union Territories have been requested to seek inputs in the form of Feedback Notes from officers at all levels including field level functionaries. Feedback notes are to be uploaded on the CS Conference portal by 20 August 2025, and a consolidated state-specific note by 31 August 2025.

During the sessions, industry partners also played a vital role in the discussions, bringing to the table real-world insights and collaborative models. Representatives from Adobe, Sodexo, Avaada Group, Lemon Tree Hotels, UPS, Volvo-Eicher, Escorts, Tata Strive, and others contributed across thematic sessions covering topics such as reskilling, upskilling, and service delivery. Additionally, PSUs like Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum shared their skilling and R&D initiatives. These interactions between government, academia, and industry emphasized the need for stronger convergence to equip India’s workforce for emerging job roles and evolving market demands.

Each session was followed by an open discussion that encouraged multi-stakeholder collaboration and identified innovative approaches to strengthen service delivery and align skill training with real-time employment demands.

The workshop was graced by Mr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Former Chairperson, NCVET, Ms. Trishaljit Sethi, DG (Training), DGT, MSDE, Dr. Vinita Aggarwal, Executive Member, NCVET, Himanshu Gunawat, Deputy Secretary, MSDE, Padma Shri awardee Shri Sultan Singh, Dr. More Ramulu, Advisor, AICTE, representatives from various state skilling departments or ministries, IARI, New Delhi, DoNER, among others.

The workshop concluded with a consensus on the need for stronger convergence across stakeholders, investment in future-ready infrastructure, and leveraging international partnerships to build a resilient and inclusive skilling ecosystem. The outcomes and insights from the workshop will feed into the deliberations at the Chief Secretaries’ Conference and guide future skilling policy directions.

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Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, highlighted the enduring people-to-people and institutional linkages between the two nations. He emphasized India’s vision to become the “Skill Capital of the World” through the Skill India Mission, under which already close to 400,000 individuals have already been trained in advanced domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data, while nurturing over 1.3 million entrepreneurs.

India’s efforts to align its vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem with global standards, and the establishment of world-class Skill India International Centres, were presented as models for international collaboration.

The Egyptian delegation shared insights into Egypt’s comprehensive TVET reforms, including the EU-supported TVET Egypt Reform Programme and the establishment of Sector Skill Councils, which resonate with India’s scalable and affordable skilling models. Both sides acknowledged the success of ongoing collaborations, such as the 2024 MoU between India’s NIELIT and Egypt’s Information Technology Institute, the El-Sewedy Group’s partnership with Amity University, and the Indian-supported Vocational Training Centre in Cairo.

Looking ahead, the two countries identified several promising avenues for future cooperation. These include joint certification programmes, faculty and student exchanges, digital skilling and entrepreneurship initiatives, and the establishment of Centres of Excellence in priority sectors like information technology, agriculture, tourism, and green skills. Both delegations expressed a shared commitment to creating a globally competitive, future-ready workforce and to using their partnership as a template for broader South-South cooperation.

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