Parliament Question: Role and strengthening of Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *397 ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 ROLE AND STRENGTHENING OF INDIAN SKILL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (ISDS) *397 SMT. SUDHA MURTY: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) the current sanctioned strength and deployment status of officers under the Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS); (b) the role envisaged for ISDS officers in strengthening the skill ecosystem, including Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), apprenticeship promotion and industry linkages; (c) whether any step is being taken to further enhance the capacity, training and career progression of ISDS officers to align with emerging sectors and new-age skill requirements; and (d) whether Government proposes to expand the scope of ISDS in view of the increasing emphasis on skill development as a driver of economic growth and employment generation? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *397 ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 ASKED BY SMT. SUDHA MURTY REGARDING ROLE AND STRENGTHENING OF INDIAN SKILL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (ISDS) (a): The current sanctioned strength and deployment of officers under Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) is given below: - Sl. Name of the Duty Level in Pay Sanctioned In-position Grade No. Post Matrix Strength strength 1 Deputy Director Level-14 Senior Administrative Grade 03 03 General 2 Junior Administrative Grade Director Level-13 32 29 3 Senior Time Scale Joint Director Level-12 23 15 (Non-Functional Second Grade) 4 Senior Time Scale Deputy Director Level-11 97 45 5 Junior Time Scale Assistant Director Level-10 116 70 Total 271 162 (b): In order to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat in respect of development of skilling ecosystem, a structured Group-A cadre namely Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) was formulated in 2015. The ISDS Cadre is primarily responsible for policy formulation, implementation, regulation and monitoring of various skilling activities across more than 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), 33 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and 22 Regional Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (RDSDEs), details of which are given at Annexure. (c) & (d): Officers inducted into the Indian Skill Development Service undergo structured and professional induction training programme at Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI) Kolkata. Emphasis is also placed on field-based learning and practical exposure to enable officers to better understand and address emerging challenges in skilling ecosystem. The Ministry also organizes Mid-Career Training Programmes for officers of the Indian Skill Development Service to enhance their professional, managerial, and leadership capabilities at different stages of their career through premier institutions namely, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, Indian Institute of Management, Indian School of Business. Keeping in view the rapid growth of the ITI network, expansion of apprenticeship systems, introduction of technology-intensive trades and implementation of digital platforms, short term training and workshops for ISDS Officers are also organized. In order to realign a service to the ever changing organizational needs and to maintain congruence between functional needs and legitimate aspirations of the officers, a cadre review encompassing key elements of cadre management such as manpower projection, recruitment planning, training, deputation etc. is normally carried out in five years.ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *397 ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 ASKED BY SMT. SUDHA MURTY REGARDING ROLE AND STRENGTHENING OF INDIAN SKILL DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (ISDS) Role of Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) Officers (i) Policy formulation, implementation and monitoring of the schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM SETU), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS), Craft Instructor Training Scheme (CITS), Advance Vocational Training Scheme (AVTS), Upgradation of ITIs into model ITIs, etc. under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and its attached organisations. (ii) Coordination with State Government and State Skill Development Missions for the timely monitoring of central schemes and their handholding with the implementing agencies. (iii) To coordinate with other Ministries to support in planning and managing implementation of various skill initiatives /schemes to help in convergence of skill efforts of Govt of India being implemented through different Ministries. (iv) Integration of Vocational education in Mainstream Education in line with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. (v) Cultivating the strategic partnership with Industries, & NGOs, International organisations and other players of the skill ecosystem in the country. (vi) To analyse skill gap analysis region wise/sector wise to map demand with supply of skilled manpower. (vii) Coordinating with and monitoring State Skill Development Mission and District Skill Committee. (viii) Managing the field offices under Directorate General of Training at various levels. (ix) Implementation and monitoring of India skills, World skills, and other all India skill competitions. (x) International cooperation with Foreign governments in Skilling domain, Capacity building, knowledge sharing (xi) Implementations of MSDE initiatives for setting up of Indian Institute of Skills, etc. (xii) Expansion of youth entrepreneurship education and capacity through forging strong partnership between educational institutions, business and other community organizations and set national standards for it. *****