Parliament Question: Implementation of vocational education and JSS schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *52 ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND JSS SCHEMES *52 SHRI MAHARAJA SANAJAOBA LEISHEMBA: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) the steps taken for ensuring National Education Policy 2020’s vocational education from Grade-6 despite the shortage of trainers and workshops in secondary schools; (b) the steps taken to ensure that the credits earned through these programs are recognized and transferable to formal education degrees; (c) the role of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme to provide skill training and entrepreneurship awareness to women and rural youths for inclusive growth; and (d) what are the stages of implementation of Vocational Education and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) schemes in the North –Eastern states? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILLDEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 52 ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND JSS SCHEMES’ (a) to (b): National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends integration of skill education programmes into mainstream education in all education institutions in a phased manner. Focus areas for skill education are chosen based on skill gap analysis and mapping of local opportunities. From the middle stages, NEP 2020 envisages the development of multiple ‘prevocational’ capacities through play and other age-appropriate activities. In the middle stage, students are to be exposed to a wide range of forms of work, so that by the Secondary stage, they can acquire specific capacities and skills in vocations of their choice, progress towards gainful employment, and contribute productively to the economy. The Government of India provides financial assistance to States and UTs for exposure to skill education in Grades VI to VIII and for the introduction of NSQF-aligned skill courses in Grades IX to XII. This support covers the introduction of skill education in schools; capacity building of vocational teachers/skill trainers; development of competency-based curricula and teaching-learning materials; creation of systems for monitoring and evaluation; and implementation of innovative projects in skill education. The main aims of this support are to: integrate skill education with general academic education in all schools; enhance the employability and entrepreneurial abilities of students and provide them with structured exposure to the world of work; and generate awareness among students about diverse career options so that they can make informed choices in line with their aptitude, competence and aspirations. In pursuance of NEP 2020, the Ministry of Education is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samgra Shiksha in partnership with all States and Union Territories. Under the Skill Education component of the scheme, so far 138 National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF)-aligned Job Roles have been approved for Class IX to XII, which have been developed in consultation with industry and relevant Sector Skill Councils and are approved by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). At the Secondary level (Classes IX and X), skill courses are offered as an additional subject, while at the Senior Secondary Level (Classes XI and XII), skill courses are offered as compulsory (elective) subject, State Education Boards are being encouraged to become Awarding Body (Dual) under NCVET so that they can design the skill courses as per local needs and award the certificates to the learners. So far, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh (BIEAP) have been onboarded as Awarding Body (Dual) by NCVET. The National Credit Framework (NCrF) has been jointly developed by UGC, AICTE, NCVET, NIOS, CBSE, NCERT, Ministry of Education, DGT, and Ministry of Skill Development to achieve this vision and intent of NEP. NCrF is a comprehensive framework encompassing elementary, school, higher, and vocational education & training, integrating learning on all dimensions i.e. academics, vocational skills and experiential learning, including relevant experience and professional levels acquired. NCrF offers a unified structure for credit accumulation, transfer, and redemption across School education, Higher education, Vocational training, Skill development, and work-based learning. It is embedded within the Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programs (CCFUP). It supports multiple entry and exit options, lifelong learning, and recognition of prior learning and facilitates interdisciplinary mobility and industry- aligned skilling. Further, the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) facilitates academic mobility through a structured credit transfer mechanism, allowing students to pursue courses across multiple higher education institutions and accumulate credits towards a degree or diploma. It functions as a digital repository where academic credits earned by students are securely stored and easily accessible. This system promotes flexibility in learning and supports multidisciplinary education.(c): The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme aims to provide skill training in a non-formal mode at the doorsteps of the beneficiary through registered Societies (NGOs) with 100% grant from the Government of India. The objective of the scheme is to increase the household income by promoting self/wage employment through skill development training. The main target of the JSS is to impart vocational skills to the non-literates, neo-literates and persons having a rudimentary level of education up to 8th standard and school dropouts up to 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years in both Rural and Urban areas. Currently, there are 294 functional Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSSs) across 26 states and 7 UTs. Since the transfer of the scheme from Ministry of Education (Erstwhile MHRD) to MSDE in July 2018 to 31st December 2025 total of 34.14 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the JSS scheme, of which 28,35,443 (i.e. 83%) are women. (d): The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) programme in the North Eastern States is being implemented through 16 JSSs and the list of 16 JSSs in the North Eastern States is attached at Annexure I. Each JSS is given a target figure of training 1800 beneficiaries annually, supported by an annual recurring grant of Rs.50 lakhs. The implementation of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme in the country, including North-Eastern States, is undertaken in a structured manner as per approved guidelines and Annual Action Plan (AAP). The stages are as under: Approval of AAP and Target Allocation: Upon approval of the Annual Action Plan, an annual target of 1,800 beneficiaries per JSS is assigned for skill training in the respective districts Mobilisation Process: JSSs undertake community mobilisation through awareness activities, local surveys and interaction with Panchayati Raj Institutions, SHGs and community leaders to identify eligible beneficiaries, with priority to women and disadvantaged groups Enrolment on SIDH Portal: Identified beneficiaries are enrolled through Aadhaar-based registration on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH)/JSS portal, ensuring transparency and real-time monitoring Training: Skill training is imparted through 51 NSQF-aligned curricula approved by NCVET, with emphasis on practical training (70%) and alignment with local market demand, through decentralized training centres across the district Assessment: The assessment of JSS beneficiaries is conducted by DJSS through a pool of assessors consisting of experienced resource persons selected from the neighbouring JSSs. Certification: Successful candidates are issued digitally verifiable certificates through the JSS portal, bearing the National Emblem, JSS and Skill India logos, thereby enabling recognition of acquired skills. This phased approach ensures systematic and effective implementation of the JSS Scheme in the country, including the North-Eastern States.Annexure I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (D) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 52 ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 REGARDING ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND JSS SCHEMES’ LIST OF FUNCTIONAL JSS IN THE NORTH-EASTERN STATES OF INDIA Sl. No. State Name of the JSS 1 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Darrang 2 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Dhubri 3 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Jorhat 4 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Kamrup 5 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Nagaon 6 Assam Jan Shikshan Sansthan Silchar 7 Manipur Jan Shikshan Sansthan Chandel 8 Manipur Jan Shikshan Sansthan Imphal West 9 Manipur Jan Shikshan Sansthan Senapati 10 Manipur Jan Shikshan Sansthan Thoubal 11 Meghalaya Jan Shikshan Sansthan East Khasi Hills 12 Mizoram Jan Shikshan Sansthan Mamit 13 Nagaland Jan Shikshan Sansthan Dimapur 14 Nagaland Jan Shikshan Sansthan Kiphire 15 Tripura Jan Shikshan Sansthan Agartala 16 Tripura Jan Shikshan Sansthan Dhalai *****