Team siliconindia

• IIT Kharagpur sets up ‘School for Skills: Healthcare & Technology’ to train rural and semi-urban youth in healthcare roles.
• The program offers short term certificate courses aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF).
• Trained students will support healthcare services and help test new medical technologies developed at IIT-KGP.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has launched a new school aimed at training youth from rural and semi-urban areas to become skilled healthcare professionals. Named the School for Skills: Healthcare & Technology, the center will be located within the IIT-KGP campus.

The school will offer short term certificate courses in areas such as General Duty Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, and Phlebotomist. These courses are aligned with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and certified by the Healthcare Sector Skill Council, under the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Initially, the school will take in 150 students per year, starting November 2025. The institute plans to expand its offerings over time to include more healthcare roles. A key aim of the initiative is to create employment opportunities, especially for women and those from economically weaker sections.

Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Director of IIT-KGP, stated that the school is not just a training facility but a “catalyst for change,” blending healthcare training with modern technology to improve rural healthcare and support inclusive growth.

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Graduates from the school will work in healthcare centers, including IIT Kharagpur’s own Syama Prasad Mookerjee Super Speciality Hospital. They will also assist in testing and validating new healthcare technologies in real world rural settings, helping gather valuable health data to improve public health outcomes across West Bengal and beyond.