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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mahindra, Toyota, JSW among 25 firms to revamp govt's industrial training institutes
MUMBAI: In a major boost for the upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state, the skill education department has received expressions of interest from around 25 companies and non-profit organisations under its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Big industry names like Mahindra & Mahindra, Toyota, Chitale Bandhu, JSW and the Baramati Industrial Development Association are among those willing to adopt ITIs to improve their training standards. Mahindra, Toyota, JSW among 25 firms to revamp govt's industrial training institutes Employment and skill development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said that ITIs had been bereft of the necessary upgrades for years. 'Through PPP and skill-based courses, we want to make these institutes more job-oriented and bring back their former reputation,' he said. Lodha revealed that JSW was interested in working on solar technology with several ITIs and Chitale Bandhu had evinced an interest in taking over a Sangli-based ITI. The state government approved the PPP policy for ITIs early this year. As part of the agreement, private partners have to invest a minimum of ₹10 crore for a 10-year term or ₹20 crore for 20 years. Half the amount will go towards upgrading infrastructure and modern equipment while the remainder will be used for staffing and training needs. The state had earlier reached out to over 5,000 companies and professionals to collaborate on ITI development. The state's skill education department, under the Maharashtra Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy 2025, has designed 20 short-term courses across four categories: management, software, soft skills and New Age technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Each ITI will offer five courses based on local demand. 'Starting this academic year, ITI students in Maharashtra will have access to new short-term management and technical courses for free,' said Lodha. 'From September 15, courses in business analytics, marketing, production, finance and other management subjects will be introduced across all ITIs.' The courses, of three to four months (about 400 hours) each, aim to equip students with basic management and soft skills. While ITI students can enrol at no cost, others such as degree engineering and agriculture students can also join by paying a course fee. In addition to management training, new technical programmes in areas such as solar panel installation and maintenance, EV mechanics, industrial robotics and digital manufacturing will also be introduced. While talking on the Maharashtra Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy 2025, Lodha said, 'To strengthen infrastructure, the government will establish micro-incubators in ITIs, polytechnics and other educational institutions, along with dedicated Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres (RIECs) in every division. These centres will focus on high-potential sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech, FinTech, Med Tech, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability.'
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
BJP faces Maha heat over pigeon feeding in Mumbai
A controversy arose in Mumbai regarding pigeon feeding at Dadar Kabutarkhana. Jain community members allegedly tore tarpaulin sheets to feed pigeons, defying a Bombay High Court ban. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened, proposing 'restrictive feeding'. Shiv Sena criticized the protest, while MNS supported the ban. BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha urged patience. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Feeding pigeons is turning out to be the next flash point over the native versus the outsider war ahead of the Mumbai civic elections as a controversy erupted after Jain and Gujarati community members allegedly tore a tarpaulin sheet from atop the Dadar Kabutarkhana to feed tarpaulin sheet was put on top of the Kabutarkhana after the Bombay High Court put a ban on feeding pigeons due to health concerns. The Jain community and animal rights activists have protested the ban and said that there should be an alternative mechanism to feed the pigeons or else the birds would CM Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting on Tuesday to resolve the issue and said that the civic body will undertake 'restrictive feeding' of the pigeons. However, with the tarpaulin sheets still covering the Kabutarkhana on Wednesday, irate Jain community members allegedly tore the tarpaulin sheets and fed the pigeons. The Mumbai Civic body has put up the tarpaulin sheets again to prevent of the act have gone viral, and political reactions have begun coming in with the Shiv Sena also deploring the act. "The protest by the Jain community outside the Dadar Kabutarkhana is over the top and excessive. Under which law does such an agitation fit?" questioned Shiv Sena MLC and party spokesperson Manisha said, "When there is a kite festival in Gujarat several birds get killed or injured due to the sharp strings. Doesn't a religious issue crop up then? It has been scientifically proven that pigeons cause health issues. It has nothing to do with religion."As the visuals of the protesters tearing up the tarpaulin sheet and feeding the pigeons spread online, the Sena-BJP ruling coalition received flak online for 'bowing before a small minority'.MNS is keenly watching the situation and has supported the move to ban pigeon feeding. It is seeking a ban on feeding pigeons in minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha visited the spot and advised protestors to be patient. He called the protestors taking the law into their own hands and feeding the pigeons 'unfortunate.' Especially when "the chief minister had kept a balance and taken a sensitive view of the situation", said Lodha.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
25 leading cos show interest to make ITIs world-class centres
Mumbai: About 25 leading industry stakeholders, including the likes of Jindal Steel, Chitale Bandhu, Toyota India, Mahindra & Mahindra, and the Baramati Industrial Development Association, have expressed interest in collaborating with the government to convert Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state to world-class centres. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The govt had reached out to several companies, professionals and entrepreneurs for the scheme to develop ITIs through public-private partnerships (PPP) in May this year. Some of these companies are keen to adopt more than one ITIs. A GR was released in May by the state drawing the policy, mentioning that the ownership of campuses will remain with the govt, while industry partners can introduce courses, train teachers, and modernise facilities. The state has over 425 ITIs. The state wants all these to be gradually adopted by the industries, but in the first year, the plan is to have at least 25 running in the PPP model. On Wednesday, during a media interaction, state's skill, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, said 'about 25 leading industries have shown interest and the MoUs are likely to be signed soon'. In yet another move, to increase the employability of ITI students and to cultivate managerial skills in them, the govt will be offering short-term courses in management education in ITIs from this Sep. Lodha said, "Our students have great technical know-how, but they lack management knowledge and therefore are unable to bag top positions in the industries. To bridge this gap, we have decided to offer them short-term courses in management, soft-skills and AI. " While these optional courses will be offered free of cost to students from the ITIs, outsiders can also enroll for them at a nominal fee of Rs 5,000. The upper age limit for these courses has been fixed at 40 years. Under management, courses in business analytics, marketing, production management, financial and behavioural management will be offered as three- to four-month courses. Courses in soft skills, service industry and new-age courses such as AI-machine learning developer, solar panel installation, drone technology and operations, EV mechanic, "will also be offered in ITIs based on the demand placed by institutes and their local requirement," said Lodha. For instance, a course in fish processing in the coastal region or agro-processing in the agricultural belt will be offered too. The course content will be developed by the state's skill university.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tensions erupt at Dadar's Kabutarkhana over BMC action on pigeon feeding site
Tensions flared at Dadar's Kabutarkhana on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) morning after a group of protesters, primarily from the Jain community, forcibly removed a tarpaulin sheet placed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the pigeon feeding site, leading to clashes with police personnel. The tarpaulin cover had been erected as part of the BMC's compliance with a recent Bombay High Court order, which called for the closure of pigeon feeding zones, or kabutarkhanas, across Mumbai due to concerns over public health risks posed by bird droppings, including respiratory illnesses. Despite police presence, demonstrators dismantled the bamboo-supported plastic cover, triggering a brief but tense confrontation with law enforcement officers. Several women entered the feeding zone, climbing the barricade and attempting to cut the ropes tied to the bamboos using sharp knives and blades, in a bid to resume feeding the pigeons. 'I have been feeding these pigeons all my life and my children and their children now feed them. We have never had any health concerns from these pigeons. We want medical proof to corroborate the High Court's order. None of us have taken law in hand, all we wanted is to feed these pigeons who depend on us and if we don't, we fear they will die of starvation,' one of the protestors, a Dadar resident who declined to be named, said. Another protester said, 'The government can arrange a Vantara for one elephant but for these living pigeons, the government can be heartless that they are restricting us to feed them.' Mumbai has 51 such kabutarkhanas. On July 3, the Maharashtra government directed the civic body to shut down all such feeding sites. Maharashtra's Minister of Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and co-Guardian Minister of Mumbai suburban district, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, visited the site shortly after the protest and denounced the forceful removal of the civic barricade. He said police would take appropriate action and added that the Jain temple trust located nearby had distanced itself from the agitation, claiming that outsiders were responsible. 'The incident that occurred this morning at Kabutarkhana is extremely unfortunate. It has left me distressed. On the issue of Kabutarkhana, Hon. Chief Minister Sri. Devendraji Fadnavis has taken a balanced and sensitive decision. By giving clear instructions to implement alternative measures, he has struck a golden mean in this matter. I humbly appeal to all citizens to maintain restraint and peace, and no one should take the law into their own hands,' Mr. Lodha said on social media platform X. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Lodha added, 'I spoke to the Jain temple trust in Dadar, but they denied their participation in the protest and claimed that the protestors are outsiders who staged the protest. Police will take the right decision on this. On Thursday, a report will be submitted to the Bombay High Court on the issue.' Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, 'In a meeting held with the CM, BMC, and the members of Jain temple from Dadar, a few suggestions are proposed that will be submitted in the High Court tomorrow. Both citizens and animals have rights to live in their own areas. Mumbai has had kabutarkhanas for years and some are saying now there are health concerns because of them, but we can't get rid of them over a night, people's sentiments are attached, we have to come to common ground.' On Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had instructed the BMC to allow pigeon feeding in a regulated manner to prevent starvation of the birds. Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar also supported the move, stating that feeding should be allowed under regulated conditions so as not to inconvenience the public.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Dadar Kabutarkhana protest: Opposition parties in Maharashtra question state government stand on public health, state minister seeks middle ground
Mumbai: The protest at the Dadar kabutarkhana and the administration's response has further sharpened the divide on the issue with the Opposition questioning how public health can be compromised to appease religious sentiment and whether govt had implemented a well-thought plan. BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who is a Marwari Jain, has been advocating an "amicable solution" to feed pigeons in public places without violating the Bombay high court's directives, a suggestion that has few takers in the Congress or the NCP (SP). MPCC president Harshawardhan Sapkal said, "Fadnavis should advise builders Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Gautam Adani to set up kabutarkhanas on land owned by them in Mumbai and resolve the row." He said the entire controversy seemed a ploy to divert attention from key public issues. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Sapkal said at a juncture when the court had already passed an order keeping public health in mind, it was wrong on the part of the chief minister to convene a meeting and deliberate on it. "Evidence has already shown the type of diseases caused by the pigeons. In our opinion, public health is more important than religion. The BJP alliance govt is more dangerous than the BJP itself,'' Sapkal said. NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar, who visited the spot around 1.30 pm, said the face-off between Jain groups and police could have been avoided if the govt had not acted in a hasty manner which hurt sentiments. "Minister Uday Samant should have considered all consequences before ordering an abrupt closure of the kaburtarkhanas. This sudden decision has probably impacted the birds, which may have triggered an emotional reaction from the community. " In Thane, an MNS Thane functionary, Sushant Dombe, upped the ante, writing to the Thane police chief and municipal commissioner, demanding an immediate halt to all illegal pigeon feeding points in the city. He also questioned whether it could be justified if the party launches a similar agitation for the Madhuri elephant in the name of faith. BJP's minister Ashish Shelar, who is also guardian minister for the Mumbai suburbs, however, stuck to the govt's official line calling for "controlled feeding" of pigeons. "Kabutarkhanas should also be saved by this controlled feeding structure. It should not be excessive and should not cause any inconvenience to people," Shelar said.
