Parliament Question: Vocational Courses in Government Colleges in Muzaffarnagar

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1372 ANSWERED ON - 27/07/2026 Vocational Courses in Government Colleges in Muzaffarnagar † 1372. Shri Harendra Singh Malik: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is considering to introduce vocational professional courses in Government colleges in Muzaffarnagar, keeping in view the district's major industries, namely sugar, steel and paper; (b) whether there is any proposal to link the proposed Centre of Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT) at Muzaffarnagar with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for promoting high-end research, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any specific guidelines have been issued under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 to provide internships for meritorious students from rural areas of Muzaffarnagar in local steel plants and sugar mills, if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether the Government is considering any proposal for the establishment of a new Central University or a multidisciplinary research institution in Muzaffarnagar district and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d): Government of India launched National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with an aim to provide holistic development of students. NEP 2020 envisages integration of practical exposure and skill courses with regular programs. NEP 2020 also emphasizes the importance of industry-academic connect to enhance employability of students/youth. To achieve the objectives of NEP 2020 and to create a robust ecosystem of industry exposure in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP) Guidelines. Further, to ensure general exposure of industry to technical education students, AICTE has made internship mandatory component of model curriculum/programmes approved by AICTE. The UGC had approved 04 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in Muzaffarnagar District Uttar Pradesh to offer skill-based programmes under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) during the academic year 2020–21. Under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) of Ministry of Education, 02 colleges in Muzaffarnagar district, namely Shri Ram College and Sanatan Dharam College, have started AEDP courses and have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Board of Apprenticeship Training(BoAT) (Northern Region), Kanpur, for providing training to students. Further, a total of 7 establishments / industries of Muzaffarnagar are registered with the BoAT (Northern Region), Kanpur for providing apprenticeship training to graduates under NATS. Government of India has also established several premier Centrally Funded Institutions in Uttar Pradesh to provide high quality and multidisciplinary education to students such as Indian Institute Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) Allahabad, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University etc. Government of India also provides financial support to State Governments under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) / Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) for specific State Government universities and colleges to improve quality by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards. Under PM-USHA, a total of 6 units under the Multi- Disciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU) component have been approved in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Government of India has approved 204 Units in the State of Uttar Pradesh under various phases of the PM-USHA scheme including Rs 5 crore for Vijay Singh Pathik Government Mahavidyalaya, Kairana, in Muzaffarnagar district to strengthen colleges component of PM- USHA. As per information provided by Government of Uttar Pradesh, “Maa Shakumbhari University, Saharanpur”, a State Public University, alongwith its affiliated colleges, provides internship opportunities to students. Further there is no proposal to link Centre of Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT), Muzaffarnagar with IIT. ****