From Our Spl Correspondent

 NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that the Northeast region has the maximum number of young persons under 14 and the Union cabinet Thursday approved a project for the region to increase the training an education capacity in IT areas at a cost of nearly 400 crore rupees.

“The Union Cabinet approved the initiation of the project entitled ‘Development of North Eastern Region by enhancing Training and Education Capacity in the Information, Electronics and Communication Technologies (IECT) area,” Sibal said after the Cabinet meeting.

This will be implemented by National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an Autonomous Society under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

The total budget outlay of the project is Rs.388.68 crore (Capital Expenditure Rs.266.25 crore and Recurring Expenditure Rs.122.43 crore).

The Department’s contribution in the form of grants-in-aid is Rs.347.88 crore spread over a period of five years, the Minister said.

An analysis of the population growth in Northeastern States indicates that a substantial proportion of the population is below 14 years, Sibal said.

It also indicates that education would be the most critical input to empower the young people and human resource is the single most promising development asset of the region, he said.

The project would result in enhanced capacity in terms of training/education in IECT sector for the youth of North-Eastern Region. The availability of trained professionals in the IECT area is expected to attract entrepreneurs/industrial houses to set up industries in the region, leading to its overall socio-economic development.

The project would benefit the student community/ youth , faculty members, entrepreneurs, local industry, government employees, educated employed, various disadvantaged sections of the society ( Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/ Other Backward Classes/ minorities, school dropouts persons with disabilities, economically weaker sections, etc.) of the Northeast Region.

Nearly half lakh students are expected to be enrolled/trained in various long-term/short term courses in five years in the proposed six upgraded centres and 12 extension centres, the Minister hoped.