Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar held  discussions with Members of Parliament and Ministers from Gujarat on creating targeted skilling opportunities for the tribal youth in their local areas to reduce the pull for migration.

The deliberations, held under the "Skill Samwaad" series yesterday, focussed on the "Village Engineers" programme that will be rolled out in the state soon.

Emphasizing on the need to make opportunities available locally, Shri Chandrashekhar said under the programme, the tribal youth will get multiple skill training so that they can participate in the economic activities in their respective districts. The State government and the Centre must act in coordination to implement the programme, he added.

Opportunities in the areas of Electric Vehicles (EVs), drone manufacturing, organic food manufacturing, mango processing, textile manufacturing and more were discussed.

The meeting also deliberated on the suggestions for empowering women, especially in the handloom and handicraft sectors, enhancing livelihood prospects, using local resources and inculcating entrepreneurial skills.

The programme which  is consistent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Self Reliance or AtmaNirbharta aims to ensure inclusive development for all communities.

Recently, the village engineer programme was launched from Madhya Pradesh to train the tribal youth by providing them a basket of skills together. The first batch of village engineers have also been conferred recognition in form of certification.

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MJPS/AK