Parliament Question: National Apprenticeship Promotion and Training Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1400 ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026 NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP PROMOTION AND TRAINING SCHEMES 1400. SHRI SADANAND MHALU SHET TANAVADE: SHRI MITHLESH KUMAR: SMT. SANGEETA YADAV: SHAMBHU SHARAN PATEL: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) the number of apprentices engaged under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) in the year 2025; (b) the sectors and industries that have the highest participation in the apprenticeships and the role of MSMEs in the same; (c) the measures taken to increase the apprenticeship completion rates, stipend assistance and facilitate the transition of apprentices into regular employment; and (d) whether Government is planning any additional incentives or regulatory simplifications to increase participation in apprenticeship programs? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) The Government of India, under the Apprentices Act, 1961, implements two flagship Central Sector schemes namely National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), launched in August 2016 and continued as NAPS-2 from 2022-23 by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) launched in 1973 by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and approved for its continuation up to 2025-26. Together these schemes, support apprenticeship engagement in the country. In the calendar year 2025, apprentices engaged under NAPS and NATS are 11.84 lakh and 5.23 lakh respectively. (b) In both the schemes, apprenticeship participation is significantly strong in industries falling under top 13 sectors namely Automotive, Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Electrical (including New and Renewable Energy), Electronics, IT/ITeS, Life Sciences, Logistic and Supply Chain, Production and Manufacturing, Retail, Rubber, Service sectors (Education, Health Care, Professional services) and Tourism & Hospitality. Role of MSMEs under Apprenticeship training is to provide on-the job training to apprentices. Establishments including MSMEs that have engaged apprentices are 25,423 and 16,400 under NAPS-2 and NATS respectively. (c) Both NAPS and NATS support apprenticeship engagement across the country by providing partial stipend support through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly to the apprentices engaged under the Apprentice Act, 1961. The Government share of stipend provided to apprentices under NAPS is limited to 25% of prescribed minimum stipend (up to a maximum of Rs.1,500 per month, per apprentice) and under NATS is limited to 50% of the prescribed minimum stipend (up to Rs.4,500 permonth per apprentice). The Government recognises the successfully completed apprentices by issuing nationally recognised National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) under Designated trades of NAPS, Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) for Optional trades of NAPS and NATS. In addition, the government has issued letters considering the training period undergone by an apprentice as an experience under both NAPS (for ITI graduates) and NATS. All these efforts support completion outcomes and are translating apprenticeship training to employment. The third-party evaluation reports from AJNIFM (Arun Jaitley National Institute of Finance Management) on NAPS and NILERD (National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development) on NATS indicates apprentices being engaged in a full time employment on completion of their training at 72 % and 74% respectively. Further, the 38th meeting of the CAC (Central Apprenticeship Council) held on 26th May 2025, marked a significant advancement in modernizing the country’s apprenticeship framework. Key decisions included a 36% increase in apprentice stipends, with future revisions linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This acts as an impetus for apprentices to complete the training. (d) The Council in the above meeting also approved the introduction of Apprenticeship Embedded Degree/ Diploma programme (AEDP) under the ambit of the Act encouraging degree apprenticeships and promoting flexible delivery modes such as online and blended learning, and enabling apprentices to train at client locations within India and even abroad. Further, inclusive measures—such as dedicated provisions for persons with benchmark disabilities—were introduced. If the prescribed training places for fresher apprentice and skill certificate holder apprentice cannot be filled, then the establishments may fill the same with other categories of apprentices. The scope of apprenticeship training was also expanded to include emerging sectors under the NIC-2008 classification (e.g., IT, biotechnology, and renewable energy). In addition, the Council recommended the establishment of new regional apprenticeship boards beyond the existing ones in Chennai, Kanpur, Kolkata, and Mumbai. These decisions, made in consultation with the CAC, have been duly approved by the Hon’ble Minister and notified through Gazette of India. Further, under the Jan Vishwas 2.0 Bill, currently under examination by a Select Committee of Parliament, the Apprentices Act is proposed to be aligned towards ease of doing business, compliance-oriented framework, with enforcement envisaged primarily through civil penalties and structured processes, consistent with the stated policy direction of decriminalisation while retaining statutory accountability. Under NAPS, to promote apprenticeship engagement in North-Eastern Region (NER), a focused pilot initiative was launched on 20.05.2025, that facilitates an additional incentive upto ₹1,500 per month to NER candidates undergoing Apprenticeship in any other state other than their domiciled State. This is over and above the government share of stipend upto ₹1,500 under NAPS. *****