ITI-Berhampur sets new record for girls’ intake

Berhampur: The government-run Industrial Training Institute (ITI)-Berhampur, which had topped the list in the country and created a national record for the highest number of admission of girl studentsin 2023, broke its own record this year. The number of admission for girl students was 747 last year and it hasincreased to 814 this year, said institute principal Rajat Kumar Panigrahi.

The rush of girls for male-dominated ITI courses started in 2016-17 and it had been increasing every year except in 2022-23. The number of girl students was 49 during 2012-13; 27 in 2013-14; 32 in 2014-15; 61 in 2015-16; 70 in 2016-17; 153 in 2017-18; 301 in 2018-19; 276 in 2019-20; 430 in 2020-21; 470 in 2021-22; 430 in 2022-23; 747 in 2023-24 and 814 in 2024-25, according to ITI sources.

The total number of students in ITI this year is 2,200 of which 814 are girls.

More and more girl students are taking admission in ITI since the Odisha government has started a new scheme ‘Sudakhya,’ which takes the responsibility of free uniform, admission and books. Four hostels are being provided for the benefit of girls from rural areas. The girls are being trained in various sectors of waste to wealth and they are earning while learning, said Panigrahi.

The government is trying hard to increase the percentage of girls in ITIs. Several schemes for the benefit of girls have been implemented to attract them to vocational education.

“Increasing number of girls are taking admission in ITI- Berhampur because we have introduced qualitative training with an aim to secure cent percent placement in government and renowned companies,” said Panigrahy. “Our girls are already placed in various reputed companies like Tata, Suzuki, Yokohama, TVS Motors, Schneider Electric, Hero Motors, Freudenberg Nok Pvt Ltd. Every year, the girls have also been recruited in public sectors,” he said.

Majority of the school and college dropout girls face financial constraints. In order to improve girls’ enrolment in government ITIs, the tuition fee component has been waived for them from the fee structure, ITIs have been supported with girls’ hostels and dress code has been introduced in government ITIs with reimbursable cost of Rs 3,000 for such

uniform 2016-17.