**Executive Summary**
Union Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary visited the Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI) in Kolkata on February 24, 2026, to review academic reforms, curriculum development, and infrastructure expansion. He assessed CSTARI's efforts to align curricula with industry needs and emerging technologies, laying the foundation stone for a new auditorium and participating in a tree plantation drive. The review included discussions with faculty and officials to enhance curriculum modularization and industry partnerships.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Curriculum Development and Alignment:**
* CSTARI is strengthening industry-aligned and future-oriented curricula under various schemes, including the Craftsmen Training Scheme.
* The institute has aligned programs with the National Credit Framework levels, with NCVET approvals.
* New foundational modules on Artificial Intelligence and new-age courses have been introduced.
* Specialized curricula in areas like Green Hydrogen Production and Nuclear Power Plant Technology have been prepared.
* Curricula revision includes stakeholder consultations to ensure responsiveness to evolving labour market demands.
* CTS and CITS courses are periodically reviewed to reflect industry realities and integrate emerging technologies.
* **Infrastructure and Training Capacity:**
* Foundation stone laid for a 200-seating capacity auditorium.
* Plans for a new academic block and a 50-room executive hostel are underway.
* The institute exceeded its annual training target, having trained 1211 participants against a target of 1200.
* Training portfolio includes courses for officers recruited through the Engineering Services Examination and trainers' competency enhancement initiatives.
* **Strategic Vision:**
* Institutions must remain agile, innovative, and globally benchmarked.
* Integration of emerging domains like AI and Green Hydrogen is crucial.
* Institutional collaboration between CSTARI and NIMI must be strengthened.
* Internationally relevant language competencies are being integrated to enhance global employability.
* India's skilling ecosystem is being made adaptive, globally competitive, and forward-looking.
**Impact Analysis**
* **Trainees:**
* **Impact**: Access to updated, industry-relevant curricula, including emerging technologies. Enhanced employability prospects through integrated language competencies.
* **Action Required**: Actively participate in new modules and courses, and engage with updated curricula.
* **Faculty and Staff:**
* **Impact**: Involvement in curriculum revision and development to align with industry needs. Focus on incorporating emerging technologies and global benchmarks.
* **Action Required**: Participate in consultative processes for curriculum revision, implement updated training programs, and enhance institutional excellence.
* **CSTARI Kolkata:**
* **Impact**: Enhanced institutional capacity through curriculum improvements and infrastructure expansion. Improved alignment with national skilling priorities.
* **Action Required**: Continue to develop and implement updated curricula, expand infrastructure, and strengthen industry partnerships.
* **Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship:**
* **Impact**: Advancing national skilling objectives through CSTARI's efforts. Reinforcing India's position as a global skill capital.
* **Action Required**: Support CSTARI's initiatives and promote further collaboration between institutions.
Key Entities Referenced
Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI): A training and research institute that plays a critical role in shaping India's skill ecosystem by strengthening curriculum design, trainer development, and research-led interventions.
Craftsmen Training Scheme: One of the flagship schemes used by CSTARI in strengthening industry-aligned and future-oriented curricula.
Apprenticeship Training Scheme: One of the flagship schemes used by CSTARI in strengthening industry-aligned and future-oriented curricula.
Crafts Instructor Training Scheme: One of the flagship schemes used by CSTARI in strengthening industry-aligned and future-oriented curricula.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship: The governing ministry to which CSTARI is subordinate
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Union Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary reviews
Academic and Infrastructure Initiatives of CSTARI
Kolkata
Lays Foundation Stone for Auditorium
Participates in Tree Plantation Drive
Posted On: 24 FEB 2026 6:59PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister
of State for Education, Government of India, Shri Jayant Chaudhary visited the Central Staff Training and
Research Institute (CSTARI), Kolkata today to review the institute’s ongoing academic reforms,
curriculum development initiatives and infrastructure expansion plans.
During the visit, the Minister undertook a detailed assessment of CSTARI’s work in strengthening
industry-aligned and future-oriented curricula under various flagship schemes, including the Craftsmen
Training Scheme, Apprenticeship Training Scheme and Crafts Instructor Training Scheme. The institute
has developed and updated a substantial number of courses across these schemes and has aligned several
programmes with the National Credit Framework levels, with approvals from NCVET. Emphasising
emerging technologies and green sectors, CSTARI has introduced foundational modules on Artificial
Intelligence for all trainees and developed new-age courses such as Data Annotation Assistant, Artificial
Intelligence Programming Assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Semiconductor Technician and 5G
Network Technician. It has also prepared specialised curricula in areas such as Green Hydrogen
Production and Nuclear Power Plant Technology.
Addressing faculty members, officers and trainees, Shri Jayant Chaudhary stated: “CSTARI Kolkata plays
a critical role in shaping the institutional capacity of India’s skill ecosystem by strengthening curriculum
design, trainer development and research-led interventions. As India advances towards new frontiers in
technology, clean energy and advanced manufacturing, our institutions must remain agile, innovative and
globally benchmarked. The integration of emerging domains such as Artificial Intelligence and Green
Hydrogen, along with the modernization of infrastructure, reflects our commitment to building future-
ready institutions that can empower our youth and reinforce India’s position as a global skill capital.”
The Minister was also apprised of the institute’s structured consultative approach in revising curricula,
which includes stakeholder consultations with industry experts, state directorates, sector skill bodies and
training institutions to ensure responsiveness to evolving labour market demands.
“Our curriculum architecture must remain agile, technology-aware and globally aligned. A periodic review
of CTS and CITS courses is essential to ensure that they reflect industry realities, integrate emerging
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence where relevant, and prepare instructors and trainees for the
future of work. Institutional collaboration between CSTARI and NIMI must be strengthened around acommon vision of quality course and content development. Additionally, integrating internationally
relevant language competencies like Japanese and German within an NSQF-compliant framework will
significantly enhance global employability prospects for our skilled youth. Our objective is clear — to
make India’s skilling ecosystem adaptive, globally competitive and forward-looking,” he further added
Reviewing the institute’s training performance, the Minister noted that CSTARI has exceeded its annual
training target for the current financial year, having trained 1211 participants against a target of 1200.
The training portfolio includes foundation courses for officers recruited through the Engineering Services
Examination, induction and in-service programmes for DGT officers, trainers’ competency enhancement
initiatives, pedagogy training, employability skills training, and capacity building for master trainers under
national programmes such as PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
As part of the institute’s long-term development roadmap, the Minister laid the foundation stone for a 200-
seating capacity auditorium that will strengthen CSTARI’s academic and training infrastructure. He was
also briefed on plans for the construction of a new academic block and a 50-room executive hostel to
support expanding training activities. Marking the occasion, the Minister participated in a tree plantation
drive within the campus, reiterating the importance of sustainable development and green practices in
public institutions.
The visit concluded with an interaction with faculty and officials on accelerating curriculum
modularisation, deepening industry partnerships and enhancing institutional excellence in alignment with
national skilling priorities.***
SH
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