Parliament Question: Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3050 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 RAIL KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA †3050. SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether any specific skill development and certification programmes are under implementation for the SC, ST and OBC categories youth in view of modernisation of railways and new technologies like "KAVACH" and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the number of trainees of the said communities who got employment under the "Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana" in various railway zones during the last three years;

(c) the present status of the financial concessions and exemptions (such as EMD waivers) being provided to the entrepreneurs and contractors belonging to said categories in railway tenders under the MSME policy;

and

(d) the total number of contracts awarded to vendors of these communities and the financial value thereof as well as new initiatives taken by the Government to increase their participation? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d): Indian Railways have a comprehensive training ecosystem, which provides for different sets of training interventions at various stages of career to ensure skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of Railway Employees.

To make this possible, elaborate infrastructure has been developed by the Indian Railways in form of training centres across Zonal Railways and Production Units.

All newly recruited or promoted employees undergo the same structured training framework at various stages of their careers, §irrespective of their category (SC/ST/OBC/General, etc). This includes Induction Training for fresh recruits, Promotional Training, Refresher Training, and Specialized Training (such as training on new technologies like ’Kavach’ etc.), relevant to their respective fields of work. The training standards and opportunities are uniform for all employees, ensuring parity in skill development and capacity building across categories to strengthen employee competencies and equip railway personnel with the skills needed for modern, technology-intensive operations.

Besides, Indian Railways also conducts Apprenticeship Training Programme at its various units like Production Units, Workshops, Loco Sheds, Carriage and Wagon Depots etc under the provisions of Apprentices Act, 1961, which also contributes to skill development of local youth for all categories. By way of participating in these programmes, youth from all categories acquire new sets of skills, thereby enhancing their employability and entrepreneurship skills. Reservation of training places in every designated trade in favour of SC/STs are as per the provisions of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.

At the same time, with the aim of enhancing employability and promoting entrepreneurship among the youth, Indian Railways started the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana, a pan-India entry-level skill development programme covering 16 technical trades, at 103 training centres of Zonal Railways & Production Units spread across the country. The scheme has attracted substantial representations from SC/ST/OBC categories.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MoMSME) is the nodal ministry responsible for the implementation of the Public Procurement Policy for goods produced and services rendered by Micro and Small Enterprises(MSEs) of Government of India, which includes concession and exemption(such as EMD waivers). Indian Railways has adopted and implemented this policy in its procurement framework. The procurement from SC/ST owned MSEs is as below:

Financial year Nos. of Value contracts (in Rs. Lakhs) 2024-25 55 784.29 2025-26 (till date) 60 5452.71 *****