by Mayukh Goswami 

Mangaldai : Assam Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal on Monday afternoon has laid the foundation of the proposed Assam Skill University at Mangaldai in Darrang district . Addressing the public function organized on the occasion at Gerimari village , the site of the project , Chief Minister Sonowal underlined the aim of this state of the art Skill University , which is third in the country and first in eastern India , to create skillful and quality human resource who can earn the special ability to compete globally and fulfill the demand of employment in the world. Appealing the local people to remain vigil over the progress of the construction so that the work is completed within the time frame and classes of various curriculum could be started in time .

“ I appeal to the local public of the surrounding areas to cooperate in execution of the construction and remain vigil so that the construction is completed within the time frame . If work is not completed within time then the academic curriculums of the students will not start in time.” , Sonowal said . He also urged upon the parents , guardians and teachers of the area to groom their wards and students since the primary standard so that in days to come they can compete and get a seat in the university only through their merit . In his thirty five minutes long speech Sonowal also highlighted different projects taken up particularly in the Industry , Skill Development and Education sector of the State and at the same time slammed the Congress party of ruling the country for fifty years without any positive thoughts and only for corruption and nepotism . Chandra Mohan Patowary, State Minister for Industries and Commerce, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Transport Department etc , DilipSaikia,Member of Parliament, Mangaldoi HPC, Gurujyoti Das, Member of Legislative Assembly,Mangaldai and Binanda Kumar Saikia, Member of Legislative Assemble,Sipajhar also spoke on the occasion .

Earlier while explaining of the objectives of the meeting Dr. K.K. Dwivedi, Principal Secretary, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship Department said that first time in eastern India, Assam Skill University is going to be constructed at an estimated cost of nearly Rs. 1000 Crores, which is scheduled to be completed by September 2026. The fund has been already been secured in the ratio of 80:20 from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government of Assam respectively.

The spacious campus is spread over in 250 bighas (83 acres) of land, which will have advance features like effluent treatment plant, rainwater harvesting, energy conversation through solar energy result into an overall green campus and nature friendly for the University. The university campus is gender and disability inclusive and will have hostel facility for 60% women. This University will provide skill education to the youth of India with a specific focus on Assam, and North Eastern region. The objective of the university is to strengthen industry-aligned and flexible skills education and training system by developing management and operating systems, faculty development and management systems; developing environmentally sustainable and climate resilient ASU campus and facilities; designing and delivering industry 4.0 aligned and flexible skills education and training programs; strengthening engagement in industry-relevant applied research and development; and enhancing international and regional cooperation in skills education and training.

The Government of Assam is also exploring partnership arrangements with countries like Singapore, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom etc., for providing sector specific expertise to this University. Such international partnerships with reputable skill institutions, leading global technology companies and others will enhance the quality of training which will be provided through international accreditation. This first of it’s kind University in the entire eastern part of India will cater to over 10,000 students from the region and will further intensify our focus on the Act East Policy to bring investments to the state of Assam and make our state vibrant and thriving. To facilitate the establishment of the skill university, Government of Assam has passed Assam Skill University Bill in the State Assembly in the month of September 2020. The Assam Skill University will focus on 12 different department, including. Department of Engineering, Management and Entrepreneurship, ,Agriculture and Forestry,Digital Technology, . Textile, Media, Entertainment and Communications among others. Based on the UGC guidelines and taking guidance from by Assam Skill University Act, appointment of key officials such as Vice Chancellor, Registrar and other Administrative Staff has been initiated. Tendering process for civil work also has been initiated according to the procurement guidelines of Asian Development Bank.

The university will not only provide specialized short-term trainings, diploma but it will also provide advance diploma, Bachelor of Vocation, Masters of Vocation and Research Level Vocational courses and build the capacity of entire Eastern region in TVET Sector. The University will have a visible impact in the coming years Skill ecosystem and improvement of existing Skill Training Programs and will provide a major boost to the economy of North Eastern region and to the South East Asian countries. Anand Prakash Tiwari, ,CEO, Assam Skill University Project, Dilip Kumar Borah, Deputy Commissioner, Darrang and representatives from Asian Development Bank, along with other dignitaries and senior government officials were also present on the occasion .