With an aim to upskill the technical employees at the Department of Space in the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The MoU was signed by Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary MSDE and Shri S. Somanath, Secretary Department of Space/ Chairman ISRO.

The programme is aimed at creating a formal framework for short-term courses to provide training for the skill development and capacity- building of the technical staff of ISRO as per the industry requirements, in the space domain in the country. More than 4000 ISRO technical employees will be trained in the programme over the course of the next 5 years. The location of the training will be the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) under MSDE located across India.

The objective of the training programme is to boost the skills of various technical staff working across ISRO centres and units under Department of Space (DOS). With the help of MSDE and its state-of-the-art training institutes across the country, the programme will impart training in specific disciplines to upgrade employees' skillsets as per the latest industry trends and requirements. Under the MoU, ISRO will jointly work with MSDE and associated NSTI to prepare a detailed training calendar, training curriculum, and syllabus to accomplish the larger objectives of the programme. ISRO will provide trainee kits to the trainees.

With that, MSDE will also arrange labs, workshops, classrooms, specimens, and other training facilities to effectively carry out the programme at identified National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) in consultation with Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO). MSDE will also be responsible for the overall management and complete supervision of the programme for its successful execution.

Expressing his views on signing the MoU, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “With the advent of technology and the world moving towards digitization, it is imperative that we upskill our technical staff across sectors. The upskilling of tech experts at ISRO is a step in that direction. ISRO has been a game-changer when it comes to redefining the space domain at large over the last ten years. These training programmes will enable technical personnel to embrace and augment cutting-edge technology, thereby elevating India's standing in the space domain. We look forward to contributing to their success as they chalk a new future of the space for India”.

Effective immediately, the MoU was signed in the presence of Shri TVLN Rao, RD, RDSDE, Karnataka; Shri Kumarvel, DD, RDSDE, Karnataka; Shri C Ravi, Director, CFI, DGT; Shri Parveen Kumar, DD, DGT; Shri Manish Gupta, Assistant Director, MSDE; N. Sudheer Kumar, Director, CBPO, ISRO; and Nishant Kumar, Dy Director, ISRO. The same will be valid for a period of 5 years.