New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has launched the 2019 edition of the two national teachers training programmes the Leadership for Academics Programme (LEAP) 2019 and the Annual Refresher Programme in Teaching (ARPIT) 2019.

It was launched by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank', here on Monday.

LEAP is a three-week leadership development training programme (two weeks domestic and one week foreign training) for second-level academics in 15 premier higher education institutions.

These include five IITs -- Kharagpur, Kanpur, Bombay, Roorkee, BHU -- and Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, University of Hyderabad, NIT Trichy, and TISS Mumbai.

In 2018-19, of the 15 LEAP-approved institutions, 12 completed training with 280 participants, two are ongoing and DU is expected to conduct one round.

In 2019-20, a centralised online selection process was devised. The last date of registration is September 25 and the institution-wise selections will be finalised by September 27.

Launched last year, the ARPIT is an online initiative of the MHRD for professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty. So far, 48,000 professionals have enrolled for ARPIT 2019.

According to an official statement, the first round of ARPIT 2018 has completed with over 51,000 enrolments. Of the 6,411 registered faculty for examination, 3,807 qualified.