SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday rejected a Private Member’s Bill moved by MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia, seeking to make vocational and skilled education compulsory across the Union Territory. The Bill, titled “A Bill to provide for compulsory Vocational and Skilled Education in Jammu and Kashmir (Private Members’ Bill No. 14 of 2025),” was voted down after a debate in which the Deputy Chief Minister acknowledged the spirit of the proposal but termed it unnecessary given the existing measures in place.
Introducing the Bill, Mankotia argued that instead of investing heavily in infrastructure and human resources for Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the government should integrate vocational courses as optional subjects in higher secondary schools. “This will ensure early exposure of students to skill-based education and make learning more relevant to present-day employment needs,” he said.
Responding to the proposal, Deputy Chief Minister said the Bill reflected a “genuine concern” but pointed out that skill-based education had already been incorporated at multiple levels of the school curriculum. “Many courses in ITIs have become outdated, and I have instructed officials to review and modernise them. However, there is no need to close or replace ITIs. The government is already working to engage youth through modern trades and skill programmes,” he said.
Following the discussion, the Speaker called for a vote. While members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported the Bill, the other members opposed it, leading to its rejection by the House.
