Explanation:

The report of NITI Aayog’s sub-group of Chief Ministers on Skill development, which was released in September last year, has suggested that the ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu can expand its activities across the country if the academy is given requisite support by the State Governments concerned. Instead of replicating the ICT Academy model in each State, the existing organisation can open chapters in willing States, it said. With focus on skill development, the ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICTACT) has trained over 18,000 teachers, conducted 677 programmes, and has 13 corporate partners. It also takes up entrepreneurship development. According to Lakshmi Narayanan, chairman of the academy, the ICTACT has enabled college educated students in Tamil Nadu grab a little over 50 per cent of all entry level hiring throughout the country, competitively. This has made tier-two and tier-three college students competitive and has enabled them join the IT workforce in larger numbers. The ICTACT model has come for praise from NITI Aayog, with it recommending that this programme and model be expanded in other States. It plans to take up specific projects, depending on the requirement of a State and also the support from the industries and the respective State Governments. In a couple of States, it is in talks with the government to take up training activities. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal are some of the States that have more IT sector presence.