Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated electrical laboratories at 30 government ITIs at a cost of Rs 5.10 crore, with facilities planned at 40 more institutes. He also honoured 60 national trade test toppers and 15 state skill competition winners, and distributed appointment orders to 673 junior training officers.CM Vijay (File Photo-PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday inaugurated advanced electrical laboratories set up at 30 government Industrial Training Institutes across the state in collaboration with Schneider Electric India, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

The facilities were established at a cost of Rs 5.10 crore.The initiative is expected to benefit 9,250 trainees annually across 23 districts. Schneider Electric India and the Directorate of Employment and Training also signed an agreement to establish electrical laboratories at 40 more government ITIs at an estimated cost of Rs 6.80 crore.The facilities were inaugurated at the Government ITI in Guindy, Chennai, according to a press release cited by PTI.

At the event, Vijay distributed training kits to students enrolled in electrician and wireman courses.The chief minister presented cheques of Rs 25,000 each to 15 winners of the 59th State-Level Skill Competition 2026 in recognition of their academic and technical performance. He also felicitated 60 students who secured national first ranks in the All India Trade Test.

The number of national toppers from Tamil Nadu increased from 40 last year to 60 this year, taking the state's national ranking from fourth to second.Vijay handed over appointment orders to 673 candidates selected as junior training officers through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. Before the ceremony, the chief minister inspected skill projects prepared by students and reviewed training facilities.

These included laboratories for turning, welding, hydraulics and pneumatics, robotics, computer-controlled machining and laser cutting.He interacted with students with hearing and speech disabilities who are undergoing fitter training at the Guindy ITI. He also congratulated students receiving specialised technical and Japanese-language training for jobs at Ehime Nissan in Japan.The programme included the opening of electrical laboratories at 30 government ITIs, an agreement to extend the facilities to 40 more institutes, recognition of students and the distribution of appointment orders to junior training officers.- Ends