Parliament Question: Skill mismatch and underemployment among youth in Maharashtra

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3003 ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 SKILL MISMATCH AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTH IN MAHARASHTRA 3003. SHRI ASHOKRAO SHANKARRAO CHAVAN: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) whether growing skill mismatch and underemployment is affecting the youth of Maharashtra, particularly in rural regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether, despite flagship initiatives such as NEP 2020 and Skill India, a substantial gap continues to persist between skills imparted through educational and training institutions and the requirements of high-growth sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, green energy, cybersecurity and logistics and if so, the details thereof; and (c) whether Government has undertaken any region-wise assessment of migration of skilled youth from backward regions of Maharashtra due to lack of suitable employment opportunities and if so, details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (c): District Skill Committees (DSCs), set up across all States/UTs including Maharashtra and its Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, are mandated with formulating District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) to promote decentralized planning for skill development and implementation at the grassroots level. The DSDPs identify sectors with employment opportunities as well as the associated demand for skilling in the district, and map the available facilities for Skill Training. Skill Development Programmes of the Government are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors. Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM) , the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills. To ensure active engagement, participation and partnership with industries for the design and delivery of future-skills training in emerging high-growth sectors, MSDE has inter-alia taken the following steps: ▪ National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has been set up as an overarching regulator establishing regulations and standards to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space. NCVET recognises the industry bodies as the Awarding Bodies (Abs) and/or Assessment Agencies (AAs). ▪ The Awarding Bodies are expected to develop the qualifications as per the industry demand and map them with the identified occupations as per the National Classification of Occupations, 2015 and obtain industry validations. NCVET has approved 9026 qualifications as per the industryrequirements, out of which 2599 qualifications are valid and active, and 6427 qualifications are archived. ▪ NCVET has developed the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence (NPAI) Skilling Framework, which outlines the national roadmap, structure and guidelines for skilling in AI, data science and emerging technologies serves as the foundational document for developing standardized, industry-aligned courses and curricula. ▪ Directorate General of Training (DGT) is implementing Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST) in collaboration with industries to provide training to ITI students in real industrial environment. ▪ DGT has signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Microsoft, AWS, Autodesk etc. to ensure industry linkages for the institutes at the state and regional levels. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies. ▪ Under PMKVY, the new age/future skills job-roles have been specially aligned with Industry 4.0 requirements in areas like AI/ML, Robotics, Mechatronics, Drone Technology, etc. for upcoming market demand and industry requirements. ▪ DGT has introduced new age /future skills courses under CTS to provide training in emerging areas such as 5G Network Technician, AI Programming assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Drone Technician etc. ▪ Two (02) Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) have been established at Ahmedabad and Mumbai, in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with an aim to align industry-ready workforce to emerging economic opportunities. ▪ 36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry leaders in the respective sectors, have been set up which are mandated to identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as to determine skill competency standards. While the skill development programmes of the Government are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors and geographies, MSDE has also launched Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform, a comprehensive and accessible platform for skill enhancement, offering industry- relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to youth of the country. Through SIDH, candidates can have access to jobs and apprenticeship opportunities in their preferred geographies. Further, Kaushal Melas and Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas (PMNAMs) have been organized to facilitate the placements and apprenticeship opportunities to the certified candidates across the country, including Maharashtra. *****