The Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) was introduced by the Government of India in year 1950 to ensure a steady flow of skilled workers in different trades for the domestic industry, to raise quantitatively and qualitatively the industrial production by systematic training, to reduce unemployment among the educated youth by providing them employable skills, to cultivate and nurture a technical and industrial attitude in the minds of younger generation. The Scheme being the most important in the field of Vocational Training, has been shaping craftsmen to meet the existing as well as future manpower need, through the vast network of ITIs spread over various States / Union Territories in the country. The day-to-day administration of ITIs under the Craftsmen Training Scheme was transferred to the State Governments/ Union Territory administrations with effect from the year 1956. From 1st April, 1969, the financial control of the Industrial Training Institutes in the States as well as in the Union Territories was transferred to the respective State Governments / Union Territory. The financial assistance was granted to them in the form of bulk grant in consultation with the erstwhile Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance.
Vocational Training is a concurrent subject of both Central and State Governments. The development of training schemes at National level, evolution of policy, laying of training standard, norms, conducting of examinations, certification, etc. are the responsibilities of the central government, whereas, day to day administration including admission in ITIs rests with the respective State Governments / UTs.
Growth of ITIs in the country
The ITIs play a vital role in growth of GDP of the country in terms of providing skilled manpower to the industry. Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) was initiated, in 1950 by establishing about 50 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for imparting skills in various vocational trades to meet the skilled manpower requirement for industrial growth of the country. Several new private ITIs were established in 1980s in southern states mostly in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, from where trained craftsmen found placement in the Gulf countries.
Presently, training courses under Craftsmen Training Scheme are being offered through a network of 15,154 ITIs (Govt. 3262 + Private 11892) located all over the country with total seating capacity 26.58 lakhs(in the trades of 1 year and 2 year durations) on NCVTMIS portal with an objective to provide skilled work force to the industry in 137 NSQF compliant trades.
