NEW DELHI, May 7: An agreement has been signed between the road transport and the skill development ministries to set up 100 driver training institutes in order to meet the rising demand for certified commercial drivers in the automotive, construction and logistics sectors.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways will allocate as the grant component Rs 1 crore for each of the 100 driver training institutes to be set up across the country.
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship will also allocate a budget for stipend to trainees to compensate the wage loss during the training period. The stipend will be limited to Rs 15,000 per trainee for the entire duration of the course. The stipend will be transferred to the accounts of the trainees on Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer basis.
The pact was signed in the presence of Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy here on Friday.
“We will set up 100 driver training institutes to skill drivers and make them ready for huge opportunity,” Rudy said.
The partnership entails training the youth for various skills like driving heavy commercial vehicles and in different trades connected to highways.
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship through the National Skills Development Corporation will also train highway construction workers, technicians, supervisors, and operators to make them industry ready.
It will also upgrade the skills and certify existing workers in the road and highways construction sector. (PTI)