Tejashwi Yadav skips Bihar World Youth Skill Day event, Nitish Kumar makes an appearance

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday emphasised on imparting skill development of youths who can immensely contribute to the development of both the state and the country. “Bihar has the highest number of youths who are our capital. Bihar can not develop without the overall growth of youths,” Kumar said while addressing at a function organised on the occasion of ‘World Youth Skill Day’ in Patna. “Youths’ income will rise manifold if they are given training for the development of various skills and in turn, it will not only spur development of Bihar but also contribute to nation’s growth,” Kumar said. [caption id=“attachment_3759717” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Nitish Kumar. PTI[/caption] Stating that the state government has put ‘skill development’ programme of youths in the foreground of its agenda by including it in its ‘seven resolves’ programme, Kumar said that out of the seven resolves, two resolves are dedicated to youths development. There are one of the five components of ‘Arthik Hal Yuvaon Ka Bal’ programme enumerated in the seven resolves, he said and added that giving training for the development of various skills to youths one of them apart from student credit card, Rs 1,000 monthly self-help assistance for two years, WiFi at universities and college campuses and venture capital fund. “Bihar’s youths are talented and hard working and if they are properly trained or imparted skills, they would get opportunities,” he said. Stating that Bihar’s youths have a complex due to their inability to speak English and operate basic computer skill, Kumar said the government has decided to impart its youths three types of skills — English and Hindi communication skill, computer skill and behavioural skill. Of the 1.13 lakh students who have registered themselves for availing various skill development training across the state since its launch on 15 December 2016, around 42,000 youths have availed training, the CM said. Merely 1,978 students had enrolled themselves at 48 skill development centres across the state at the time of launch of the programme, he added. Kumar also talked about his government’s commitment to building institutions in the state and how he had to put in efforts to build these institutions like IIT, Patna Centre of BIT Mesra, Chanakya National Law University, Chandragupt Institute of Management, NIFT, Arbhatta Knowledge University and various other medical and engineering colleges. As part of seven resolves, the state government is committed to set up an engineering college, ITI, women’s ITI, GNM Institute in every district, he said and expressed hope that his efforts will reduce the number of students going outside the state to pursue higher education. Praising the talent and hard working nature of Bihar’s people, Kumar said that Biharis are not only contributing to Bihar’s development rather they are also contributing and help running various parts of the country. If they (Biharis) decide just for one day that they will not come (for a day), Delhi will come to a standstill, Kumar said and added that no one can do without Biharis. During the programme, Nitish Kumar, who was sitting beside Labour Resources minister and RJD leader Vijay Prakash, swapped his seat with Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh who was sitting right to the CM, thus making a distance with the RJD minister. Later, Industries minister and JD(U) leader Jai Kumar Singh said that the CM changed his seat in order to have a better view of the screen (TV monitor) fitted in front of him. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s nameplate was there on the dais but later it was removed thus making it clear that the Deputy chief minister, who w a s special guest on the occasion, would not come. Replying to a query posed by mediapersons, Jai Kumar Singh said that “I can not say as what was the circumstances in which he (Deputy chief minister) did not come…Labour Resources Department organised the function and I can tell you about myself as I was invited to the function.”