SRINAGAR: The Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday rejected a Private Member’s Bill moved by MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, which sought to make vocational and skilled education compulsory across the Union Territory.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill to Provide for Compulsory Vocational and Skilled Education in Jammu Kashmir” (Private Members’ Bill No. 14 of 2025), aimed to integrate skill-based training into the formal education system to enhance employability and align youth education with evolving job market needs.
Introducing the bill, Mankotia argued that the state must reform its technical education system to better respond to changing industrial demands. “We have invested heavily in ITI infrastructure and manpower, but many of the existing courses are outdated. Instead of running large institutions, we should introduce modern, optional vocational courses at the Higher Secondary level,” he said.
Responding to the proposal, the Deputy Chief Minister described the bill as “a genuine initiative” but maintained that the government was already working on similar reforms. “Many ITI courses have lost relevance with time, and I have directed officers to constitute a committee to review and update the syllabus. However, our government is already focused on expanding skill-based education from the primary level upwards,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister disagreed with Mankotia’s suggestion to scale down Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), stressing that they continue to play a vital role in employment generation. “Skill-based learning has been part of our system right from the beginning. Closing ITIs is not the answer. Our government is committed to strengthening them and engaging more youth in vocational trades,” he asserted.
Following the discussion, the Speaker called for a voice vote to determine whether the bill should be introduced. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported the bill, while the National Conference (NC) opposed it. With the majority voting against, the motion for leave to introduce the bill was rejected.
