Parliament Question: Data Entry Lapses in PMKVY

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2643 ANSWERED ON – 09.03.2026 DATA ENTRY LAPSES IN PMKVY

2643. ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:

SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL:

MS. PRANITI SUSHILKUMAR SHINDE:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be

pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that over 34 lakh certified candidates nationwide remain unpaid their Rs. 500 DBT reward due to administrative failures under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY);

(b) the reasons for the data-entry lapses where 90.66 lakh records (approx. 94 per cent) lacked valid bank details or contained placeholders like "11111111111, thus bypassing system validation;

(c) the specific number of beneficiaries in Maharashtra who are currently part of this unpaid backlog; and

(d) the exact timeline and technology-upgrade plan including Kaushal Samiksha Kendras to ensure the Rs.14,450 crore outlay translates into actual transfers to verified youth rather than 'ghost' accounts? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) The Government consistently undertakes audits and evaluations of its schemes and programmes to strengthen implementation, improve outcomes, and ensure accountability. In this context, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India

(CAG) recently published a Performance Audit Report on the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), covering the first three phases of the scheme up to 2022. The report which is available at

https://cag.gov.in/webroot/uploads/download_audit_report/2025/Report-No.-20-of- 2025_PA-PMKVY_English-PDF-A-06943abec463479.68516873.pdf , pointed out certain deviations, including non-payment of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) rewards to some trained candidates and the absence of valid bank account details for certain beneficiaries. These deviations are primarily linked to the use of Aadhaar-based payment systems for disbursal of DBT rewards, which enable direct credit to candidates’ Aadhaar-linked bank accounts and therefore remove the requirement to separately collect bank account number. As the payments were linked to Aadhaarseeded bank accounts through the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) under DBT, the bank account field on the portal was made non-mandatory.

Building on its ongoing efforts to enhance training quality, accountability, and transparency, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has introduced a series of systemic, operational, and IT-enabled reforms. These measures aim to strengthen monitoring, ensure authenticity of beneficiaries, and improve overall governance of the skilling ecosystem. As part of these reforms, Aadhaar-based e-KYC has been implemented for all stakeholders, along with biometric attendance through AEBAS for both candidates and trainers, and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to verified beneficiary accounts to ensure that financial assistance reaches the intended recipients. To improve real-time monitoring, a live attendance dashboard has been made available on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Additionally, face authentication and geo-tagged attendance have been mandated for candidates, trainers, and assessors to further strengthen verification mechanisms. The system is also being enhanced with automated alerts to detect deviations or irregularities during the training process. To maintain the authenticity and traceability of certifications, QR-coded digital certificates have been introduced. Post-certification tracking of candidates is now carried out through SIDH to monitor employment outcomes and long-term impact.

Furthermore, candidate feedback is being captured throughout the training lifecycle through the Central Communication Layer (CCL), ensuring continuous improvement in training delivery.

To enhance scalability, quality assurance, and monitoring, the MSDE has established the ‘Kaushal Samiksha Kendra’ (KSK) for independent oversight. The KSK facilitates both virtual and physical inspections of Skill India Centres (SICs) . As on 31/12/2025 MSDE through KSK have carried out virtual monitoring of 3,695 training Centres across the country.

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