Parliament watch: Surge in ITIs since 2014; PMKVY improves job outcomes & more

The number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country has increased from 9,642 in 2014 to 13,856 in 2026. Seating capacity has also risen from 17,42,986 in the 2014-15 session to 20,07,580 currently, minister of state (independent charge) for skill development and entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

‘No Widespread Ethanol Impact on Vehicles’

Road transport & highways minister Nitin Gadkari informed the RS on Wednesday that no widespread instances of engine failure or vehicle breakdown attributable to ethanol blending have been reported. Certain concerns relating to engine performance, mileage and vehicle wear have largely emerged through public commentary and social media discourse, he said, citing information provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).


PMKVY Improves Job Outcomes

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) has led to a measurable improvement in employment outcomes for short-term training (STT) candidates, with the combined share of employed and selfemployed respondents rising from 26.6% before training to 45.4% after training, an increase of 18.8 percentage points, skills minister Jayant Chaudhary said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, citing an independent third-party evaluation of the scheme.

Niti Spends Rs 19.3 Cr on Research Projects

Niti Aayog has spent Rs 19.32 crore out of the total allocation of `26 crore on research activities over the last five years (2021-22 to 2025-26), minister of state (independent charge) Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. A total of 87 research projects were approved and commenced during the period. Of these, 67 have been completed, while 42 remained ongoing as of July 15, 2026, he said.

4,809 km of High-Speed Corridors Completed

Atotal of 10,389 km of national high-speed corridors has been awarded across the country, of which 4,809 km has been completed, while 5,580 km is under implementation, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said in the Rajya Sabha.