New Delhi, Oct 4 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday blamed the "poor state" of education during the RJD rule as a major reason for the large-scale migration from Bihar and lauded the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government for improving the situation and setting the state on a path to progress.

Speaking at the inauguration of a host of education and skilling initiatives for the youth, including several projects for the poll-bound state, Modi took a veiled swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is often lauded by his party members as 'Jan Nayak', an honorific associated with respected OBC leader and former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur.

The people of Bihar should be vigilant to attempts by some to "steal" the honour long associated with Thakur, Modi said, without naming Gandhi.

Thakur was not bestowed the title of Jan Nayak by social media trolls, but it is a reflection of people's love for him, he added.

The Modi government had honoured the late OBC leader with Bharat Ratna last year.

Modi also unveiled various youth-focused initiatives worth more than Rs 62,000 crore, with a special emphasis on Bihar, which is likely to go to polls by the end of October or November.

Modi launched PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.

Praising Chief Minister Kumar, Modi said the Bihar government has taken new resolves for the state's development and has decided to double the number of people getting employment in the next five years as compared to the last 20 years.

The idea is to ensure that youngsters of Bihar are employed within the state, he said, with the issue of migration gaining in sapience during the ongoing assembly poll campaign.

Modi remarked that reviving a tree whose roots have been infested is a formidable feat, and likened the condition of Bihar under the opposition’s misgovernance to such a tree.

He stated that, fortunately, the people of Bihar entrusted Kumar with the responsibility of governance, and the “entire team of the coalition government worked collectively to restore the derailed systems”.

Noting that thousands of youth from Bihar participated in the programme, Modi asserted that this generation may not fully grasp how the education system in Bihar was devastated two to two-and-a-half decades ago.

He emphasised that every parent wishes for their child to study and progress locally. However, due to compulsions, lakhs of children had to leave Bihar and migrate to places like Banaras, Delhi, and Mumbai. He identified this as the true beginning of migration.

It is rather difficult to restore a tree whose roots are rotting, and this was the state of Bihar during the RJD rule, he said, lauding the NDA government in the state for its work to effect a turnaround.

"India is among the world's youngest nations, and Bihar is one of the states with the highest proportion of youth... compared to the Opposition government in the past, Bihar’s education budget has been increased manifold.

"Today, nearly every village and hamlet in Bihar has a school, and the number of engineering and medical colleges has also grown significantly. There was a time when Bihar lacked international-level sports infrastructure, but today, national and international sports events are being held in the state,” he said.

The prime minister said India's ITIs are not only an important centre for industrial education but also serve as workshops for 'aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

“The government is focused on both increasing the number of ITIs and continuously upgrading them. Until 2014, there were only 10,000 ITIs in the country, but in the past decade, nearly 5,000 new ITIs have been established.

"The ITI network is being prepared to meet current industry skill requirements and anticipate future demands over the next ten years," he said.

On the occasion, Modi launched PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.

It envisages the upgradation of 1,000 government ITIs in a hub-and-spoke model comprising 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs.

Modi also launched Bihar's revamped 'Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana', under which nearly five lakh graduates will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 each for two years, along with free skill training.

He launched the redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, which will provide interest-free education loans of up to Rs 4 lakh, significantly easing the financial burden of higher education.

The prime minister also inaugurated the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University, which has been envisioned to impart industry-oriented courses and vocational education to create a globally competitive workforce.

“Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur Ji devoted his entire life to social service and the advancement of education... The skill university being established in his name will serve as a powerful means to carry forward that vision,” he said.

Emphasising that India is a nation of knowledge and skill, and this intellectual strength is its greatest asset, Modi remarked that when skills and knowledge align with national needs and contribute to fulfilling them, their impact multiplies manifold.

He highlighted that the demand of the 21st century is to rapidly advance local talent, local resources, local skills, and local knowledge in accordance with the country’s requirements.

The prime minister dedicated to the nation the Bihta campus of NIT-Patna. With the capacity to host 6,500 students, the campus houses advanced facilities, including a 5G use case lab, a Regional Academic Centre for Space established in collaboration with ISRO, and an Innovation and Incubation Centre that has already supported nine start-ups.

He also distributed appointment letters to more than 4,000 newly recruited candidates in the Bihar government and released Rs 450 crore in scholarships to 25 lakh students of classes 9 and 10 under the Mukhyamantri Balak/Balika Scholarship Scheme. PTI GJS/KR RHL