Bhubaneswar, March 3 -- In a major push to strengthen industry-linked vocational education, the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has made 150 hours of On-the-Job Training (OJT) or a Group Project mandatory for trainees enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS). The reform has been implemented from the 2022-23 academic session as part of broader efforts to modernise skill development in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Traditionally, ITI trainees received hands-on instruction primarily within institute campuses using available tools and machinery, limiting their exposure to evolving industrial technologies...