PM Modi inaugurates 10 new medical colleges in Maharashtra

In a major step towards enhancing healthcare and skill development in Maharashtra Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 10 new government medical colleges and a host of other projects on Wednesday The initiative aims to improve healthcare access and provide advanced training for future medical professionals across the stateThe newly inaugurated medical colleges are located in key districts including Mumbai Nashik Jalna Amravati Gadchiroli Buldhana Washim Bhandara Hingoli and Ambernath Thane With this expansion the statersquos healthcare infrastructure will see a significant boost adding 900 medical seats for undergraduates and postgraduates The colleges will also provide specialised tertiary healthcare services to residentsDuring the event Modi emphasised the importance of expanding medical education in local languages including Marathi to open new avenues for youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds He highlighted the governmentrsquos commitment to ensuring that children from poor and middleclass families have the opportunity to pursue careers in medicine ldquoAt one point the lack of medical textbooks in local languages was a barrier That barrier has been removed allowing youth in Maharashtra to study medicine in their mother tonguerdquoIndian Institute of SkillsIn addition to the medical colleges Modi also inaugurated the Indian Institute of Skills IIS in Mumbai an institute established under a PublicPrivate Partnership between the Tata Education and Development Trust and the Government of India The institute aims to create an industryready workforce by offering handson training in advanced fields such as mechatronics artificial intelligence data analytics industrial automation and roboticsSpeaking about the IISMumbai launch the prime minister said that the institute will be instrumental in equipping Indiarsquos youth for global opportunities by aligning their skills with international standardsldquoInstitution building is a powerful mechanism that fosters a culture of innovation and advances societal progress The inauguration of IISMumbai marks a pivotal step in our journey to unlock the enormous potential of Indiarsquos youth while advancing our focus on broadening access to education and employment This has a multiplier effect by enabling our communities to thrive while also driving national developmentrdquo said Siddharth Sharma CEO Tata TrustsVenu Srinivasan chairman Tata Indian Institute of Skills said ldquoIndiarsquos growing economy increasingly demands a skilled resilient workforce which can in turn advance productivity economic growth prosperity and national development By equipping our youth with useful skills we can empower them to lead lives of independence and dignity and prepare them to keep pace with the evolving needs of industry todayrdquoBoost to education insightsAnother key project inaugurated by Modi was the Vidya Samiksha Kendra VSK of Maharashtra designed to enhance the educational framework in the state VSK will provide realtime academic and administrative data to students teachers and school administrators via live chatbots such as Smart Upasthiti and Swadhyay This digital initiative is expected to improve resource management strengthen parentstate relationships and offer curated instructional resources for better teaching and learning practicesFoundation for the futureModi also laid the foundation stones for several other megaprojects worth Rs 7600 crore He reiterated the governmentrsquos longterm commitment to developing modern infrastructure across the country referring to the creation of new medical colleges as a ldquofoundation for a healthy and prosperous MaharashtrardquoHe said ldquoTodayrsquos inaugurations are not just about building new structures but about improving the lives of lakhs of people in districts like Thane Ambernath Mumbai Nashik and beyond These new colleges would serve as centres of service for the people and todayrsquos event brings us closer to the goal of adding 75000 new medical seatsrdquoInitiatives for global impactHighlighting the governmentrsquos efforts to empower Indiarsquos youth the prime minister spoke about the launch of a paid internship programmdasha first of its kind in India Under this program students will receive a stipend of R5000 during their internships with thousands of companies already registered to participate ldquoYoung individuals will gain valuable experience and explore new opportunitiesrdquo he saidModi also reflected on Indiarsquos growing stature in the global economy stating that the worldrsquos eyes are on India as the nation has become the fifthlargest economy He stressed that sectors once neglected for decades are now seeing renewed growth and Indiarsquos educational institutions are gaining global recognition ldquoThe global community sees India as a hub for education healthcare and software developmentrdquoThe prime ministerrsquos remarks came a day after the release of the World University Rankings which highlighted the improving quality of higher education and research in India He concluded by stating ldquoThe future of the global economy is in India and todayrsquos developments will ensure our youth are equipped to seize the opportunities that lie aheadrdquo900No of medical seats added to state tally