Kolkata, West Bengal, 24th of February, 2026 : 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 a common 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.
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