Navin Jindal: Visionary

Ranchi, Aug. 5: Navin Jindal-owned Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) is the first investor to have established a state-of-the-art industrial training institute (ITI) at Patratu in Hazaribagh.

Six courses would be offered to a batch of 119 students for two years soon after chief minister Madhu Koda inaugurates the unit on August 11.

Though a large number of companies have signed MoUs with the state in the steel and power sector and pledged to set up such institutes, so far none of the investors have done anything since they are facing problems in acquiring land.

JSPL, which recently acquired Bihar Steel and Alloys Limited, has utilised the infrastructure to set up the ITI. The company has appointed an expert in industrial training, M.P. Shah, as the principal of the institute. It has also recruited six faculty members and purchased a wide range of equipment for the institute.

Some of the major trades that students would be taught in the ITI include mechanical, electrical, computer application and wielding.

“Our ITI would start functioning even before we kick off steel production. Educated local youths are being given preference in admission.

The company’s mission is to groom youths in vocational training so that they can find jobs,” said senior general manager of JSPL, Avijit Ghosh.

The curriculum has been designed, said Ghosh, keeping in mind the requirement of steel and power companies.

The fee structure is nominal and there are scholarships for meritorious candidates hailing from the below poverty line category.

The directorate of technical education of Union government has already given its clearance for setting up of the ITI and a team from that department is expected to visit the institute.

The company is also in the process of taking a no-objection certificate from the state government.

The JSPL management has plans to include more trades and increase the strength of students after some time.

“We have plans to take more students. But that would be done after the classes of the first batch of students start smoothly,” a company official said.