**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Unstarred Question No. 337 in Lok Sabha, answered on February 2, 2026, regarding the aims and objectives of the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS). It provides details on the scheme's objectives, government stipend contributions, revisions in stipend amounts, the number of apprentices engaged, and funds spent since FY 2020-21 until July 2025. It references Annexure I for revised stipend details and Annexure II for State/UT wise apprentice engagement numbers.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) Objectives:**
* Provide industry-relevant skills to fresh graduates, diploma holders, and Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) students.
* Offer high-quality on-the-job training.
* Bridge the skill gap.
* **Government Stipend Contribution:**
* The Government of India provides 50% of the prescribed minimum stipend to apprentices.
* **Revised Stipend Amounts:**
* The minimum prescribed amount of stipend for apprentices has been revised.
* Details are provided in Annexure-I, including categories for Graduate, Technician, and Sandwich Course apprentices with government's share.
* **Apprentice Engagement Numbers:**
* The number of apprentices engaged in the last five years under NATS is 12,94,154.
* State/UT-wise details, including Andhra Pradesh, are provided in Annexure II, spanning 2020-21 to 2024-25.
* **Funds Spent:**
* A total of Rs. 2179.75 Crore has been spent from FY 2020-21 to July 2025.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Fresh Graduates, Diploma Holders, and AEDP Students**
* **Impact:** Enhanced skills and job opportunities through industry-relevant training.
* **Action Required:** Participate in NATS to gain practical experience and bridge the skill gap.
**Stakeholder: Government of India**
* **Impact:** Supports skill development and provides financial assistance (50% stipend).
* **Action Required:** Continue funding and monitoring NATS to ensure effective skill development.
**Stakeholder: Industries**
* **Impact:** Access to skilled workforce through NATS apprentices.
* **Action Required:** Offer quality on-the-job training to NATS apprentices to enhance their skills.
**Stakeholder: Central Apprenticeship Council**
* **Impact:** Responsible for revising the amount of stipend.
* **Action Required:** Ensure that the amount of stipend is fair and is sufficient to incentivize participation in the scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS): A scheme to provide industry-relevant skills to fresh graduates, diploma holders, and Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) students.
Ministry of Education: The ministry responsible for implementing the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).
Central Apprenticeship Council: The council that revises the amount of stipend under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).
Andhra Pradesh: A state specifically mentioned in relation to details of the number of apprentices engaged in the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS).
Lok Sabha: Parliamentary house where the question about the NATS was raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 337
ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
Aims and Objectives of NATS
337. Dr. C M Ramesh:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the aims and objectives of National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) being
implemented by the Government;
(b) whether it is true that the Government contributes fifty per cent of stipend under the said
scheme, if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether it is true that the Central Apprenticeship Council has recently revised the amount
of stipend, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the number of apprentices engaged has gone up to 1.29 million during the last five
years and if so, the details thereof, State-wise, with particular reference to Andhra Pradesh; and
(e) the details of amount of funds spent by the Government on NATS since 2020-21 till July,
2025?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (e): The aims and objectives of National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) is to
provide industry relevant skills to fresh graduates, diploma holders and Apprenticeship
Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP) students of any educational background, by providing
them with high quality on-the-job training in the form of apprenticeships, thereby bridging the
skill gap. Government of India provides 50% of the prescribed minimum stipend to apprentices.
The minimum prescribed amount of stipend for apprentices has been revised. The details
thereof are placed at Annexure-I.
Number of apprentices engaged during last five years under NATS is 12,94,154. State/UT wise
details including Andhra Pradesh, are at Annexure II.
Total of Rs. 2179.75 Crore has been spent from FY 2020-21 to July 2025.
*****Annexure I
ANNEXURE REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.337 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026 ASKED BY
HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT DR. C M RAMESH REGARDING AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES OF NATS.
Recent Revision in the stipend are as follows:
Category of Prescribed minimum amount Government’s share
students/apprentices of stipend
Graduate apprentices or Rs. 12,300 per month Rs 6,150 per month
degree apprentices or
degree in any stream
Technician apprentices or Rs. 10,900 per month Rs. 5,450 per month
diploma holder in any
stream or sandwich course
(students from degree
institutions)
Sandwich Course (Students Rs. 9,600 per month Rs 4,800 per month
from Diploma Institutions)Annexure II
ANNEXURE REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.337 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026 ASKED BY
HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT DR. C M RAMESH REGARDING AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES OF NATS.
The State-wise details of the numbers of individuals who have engaged from the scheme
are during the last five years.
State / UT 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Andaman & 15 20 32 19 18
Nicobar
Islands
Andhra - - 1422 577 3696
Pradesh
Arunachal 71 93 71 15 17
Pradesh
Assam 671 938 1968 1380 1721
Bihar 932 914 4621 7112 16565
Chandigarh 46 49 270 800 2053
Chhattisgarh 1656 1050 2535 847 2342
Dadra and 110 119 186 215 511
Nagar Haveli
and Daman
& Diu
Delhi 1381 2029 3257 6499 9727
Goa 342 529 766 798 957
Gujarat 3888 4824 8278 9516 15817
Haryana 3569 4252 16275 25691 44274
Himachal 385 527 486 1106 2350
Pradesh
Jammu and 19 29 158 272 471
Kashmir &
Ladakh
Jharkhand 2959 2800 3558 3387 10158
Karnataka 4112 6402 10314 11113 27456
Kerala 2361 2555 8145 8478 18152State / UT 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Lakshadwee - - - - 2
p
Madhya 923 1191 2278 2249 6777
Pradesh
Maharashtra 23515 34539 55664 50048 114127
Manipur 30 33 29 3 116
Meghalaya 22 31 29 67 39
Mizoram 6 28 43 33 72
Nagaland 2 3 4 10 42
Odisha 8966 21798 34938 15538 28279
Puducherry 186 304 718 422 748
Punjab 328 390 480 2614 2034
Rajasthan 647 945 4492 7467 15100
Sikkim 239 475 405 601 651
Tamil Nadu 24732 33332 45967 28453 56112
Telangana 3165 4793 11284 8988 35604
Tripura 45 120 189 141 295
Uttar 3410 6734 16846 11587 21706
Pradesh
Uttarakhand 452 696 3084 1779 9172
West Bengal 8030 15616 29250 49890 75863
Total 97,215 1,48,158 2,68,042 2,57,715 5,23,024