Telangana to set up skills varsity on PPP model

The Young India Skills University (YISU), a not-for-profit that will come up at Meerkhanpet in the Kandukur mandal of Ranga Reddy district, will offer degrees, diplomas, certificates, and custom-made courses tailored to the needs of the industry and the community.

Hyderabad: Telangana will get a world-class skills university under the public–private partnership (PPP) model, for which the foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday.

The Young India Skills University (YISU), a not-for-profit that will come up at Meerkhanpet in the Kandukur mandal of Ranga Reddy district, will offer degrees, diplomas, certificates, and custom-made courses tailored to the needs of the industry and community through a university school or multi-disciplinary courses from multiple schools.

Around 17 industry-focused schools and one centre for YISU have been identified, prioritising six schools for Phase 1, based on industry demand assessments starting in the upcoming academic year.

In the PPP model, the state government will identify a consortium of industry partners to collaborate with. The government will provide recurring expenditures during the first three years of operations.

The government had earlier decided to start the university's operations in a temporary building at the ESCI Campus in Hyderabad.

“The pedagogy will ensure a job-targeted curriculum, seamless industry integration, a strong emphasis on lab and practical components, including internships, and leveraging existing curriculums. Based on future regional demand, the university may establish satellite campuses in the hub and spoke model,” said IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu, while introducing the skills university bill in the Assembly.

A new future city will come up: Revanth

Speaking after laying the foundation stone, Revanth Reddy said his government is establishing YISU with the intention of developing the area and providing employment and livelihood to the youth.

“As part of development, we have decided to build another city here. We need to provide basic amenities like education, healthcare, and employment before we can build the city. That's why we passed a bill in the Assembly and are setting up a skills university here. We have laid the foundation stone for the Advanced Technology Centre, Modern School, Primary Health Centre, and Community Centre,” he said.

Revanth further said that, like Jawaharlal Nehru, who prioritised education and irrigation in the country, the Congress government intends to provide skill training and certification to lakhs of youth through this university.

“Many companies have come forward to provide jobs and training. If you get admission to the Skills University, it means a guaranteed job. The government is making plans for your future. This area is going to become a future city. We are building a more modern city than New York here. We will develop a health tourism hub and a sports hub here,” he added.

The CM also assured those who had lost their land not to worry. “We will ensure your future. We will provide skill training for your children and jobs. We will build a 200-foot-wide road from here to the airport. We will bring Metrorail here. Just like Rajashekar Reddy brought the Outer Ring Road, we are now building a Regional Ring Road under the leadership of Komati Reddy Rajagopal Reddy. We will start the Regional Ring Road work in three months," he said.