In a pioneering step to bridge Bengal’s healthcare workforce gap and uplift rural communities, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is set to roll out an ambitious healthcare training initiative for rural and semi-urban youth, with classes commencing in November 2025. The “School for Skills: Healthcare & Technology,” hosted on the IIT Kharagpur campus, will deliver industry-aligned, short-term certificate courses with the goal of generating skilled allied health professionals for community and institutional healthcare in the state and beyond.
The Program at a Glance
The inaugural batch will accommodate 150 students annually and offer practical, National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned certificate courses including:
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General Duty Assistant
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Emergency Medical Technician (Basic
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Phlebotomist
These courses are designed to make participants job-ready, addressing the demand for skilled frontline healthcare personnel in rural hospitals, clinics, and at home-care facilities across Bengal and eastern India. Upon completion, graduates will receive credentials from the Healthcare Sector Skill Council, under the aegis of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Empowering Rural Bengal: Why It Matters
The initiative responds to two critical needs:
Rural Healthcare Gaps: Rural Bengal and much of India face persistent shortages of trained healthcare staff, especially for community-level patient care, emergency response, and basic diagnostics.
Youth Employment and Upskilling: The program provides invaluable employment opportunities for rural and semi-urban youth, widens participation for women and economically weaker sections, and helps strengthen the community’s resilience to health challenges.
By coupling technical skills with intensive, hands-on clinical experience, IIT Kharagpur’s program hopes to transform the rural healthcare landscape and promote health equity for underserved populations.
The Learning Experience
Students will receive classroom and field training at IIT Kharagpur, with a special emphasis on supporting patient care at the Syama Prasad Mukherji Super-Speciality Hospital located within the institute. Graduates will also have the opportunity to deploy newly acquired skills in health centers, NGOs, and rural medical camps across Bengal.
A unique aspect of the program is its tie-in with technology and innovation: some trainees will participate in testing and validating healthcare technologies developed at IIT Kharagpur, contributing to broader health data collection and digital health initiatives in the region.
A Catalyst for Change
IIT Kharagpur Director Prof. Suman Chakraborty remarks, “This school is more than a training hub—it’s a catalyst for change. We aim to build a healthcare workforce that can serve the last mile, transform rural healthcare delivery, and contribute to the nation’s vision of inclusive growth.” The institute indicates course offerings will expand in the coming years, keeping pace with industry needs and leveraging innovations in healthcare technology.
Looking Ahead
With the first cohort set to begin in November 2025, IIT Kharagpur’s program stands out as a model for academic-industry-community collaboration and social impact. As the school evolves, it aims to:
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Scale course offerings and student intake
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Empower women and marginalized youth
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Pilot new healthcare technologies and data systems in rural areas
The hope is that this initiative sparks similar training efforts across other Indian states, fostering a nationwide movement toward health empowerment and rural upliftment.
Sources: Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Times of India, Devdiscourse, Careers360
