Parliament Question: Strengthening Skill Development Ecosystem

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 228 ANSWERED ON 20.07.2026 STRENGTHENING SKILL DEVELOPMENT ECOSYSTEM 228. SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG: DR. HEMANG JOSHI: SHRI KOTA SRINIVASA POOJARY: SMT. MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH: SHRI DULU MAHATO: SHRI CAPTAIN BRIJESH CHOWTA: SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL: SHRI ANURAG SHARMA: SMT. HIMADRI SINGH: SHRI MANOJ TIWARI: SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH: SHRI LUMBARAM CHOUDHARY: SHRI RAMESH AWASTHI: SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE: DR. BHOLA SINGH: SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA: SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL: SHRI SUNIL KUMAR: SHRI RADHESHYAM RATHIYA: SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH SOLANKY: SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI KALI CHARAN SINGH: SHRI MITESHBHAI RAMESHBHAI PATEL: SHRI RAHUL SINGH LODHI: SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN: SHRI NALIN SOREN: SHRI AVIMANYU SETHI: DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA: DR. RAJESH MISHRA: SHRI ASHISH DUBEY: SHRI KHAGEN MURMU: DR. SANJAY JAISWAL: SHRI GODAM NAGESH: SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI: DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY: SHRI SHIVMANGAL SINGH TOMAR: SHRI KRISHNA PRASAD TENNETI: SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to expand and strengthening the skill development ecosystem across the country, State/UT and district-wise, particularly in Chhattisgarh during the last twelve years and the current year and if so, the details thereof;(b) whether the Government has reviewed the implementation and progress achieved under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) since its inception, along with the number of candidates trained, certified and placed in employment, State/UT, district and year-wise, particularly in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh including Bulandshahr and tribal areas of Palghar district, along with the available information on employment after six and twelve months; (c) whether PMKVY 4.0 has introduced new measures and programmes to improve the quality, transparency and industry relevance of skill training through digital platforms, standardised assessment, accreditation of training centres and alignment with emerging technologies, particularly in the said State and district and if so, the details thereof; (d) the details of funds allocated, released and utilised under the various skill development initiative by the Government during the last twelve years and the current year; (e) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to enhance industry participation, apprenticeship opportunities, improve placement and employment outcomes under the Skill India Mission and whether the Government has undertaken any impact assessment of PMKVY and other flagship skill development programmes and if so, the key findings and details thereof; and (f) the corresponding details for Karnataka and Dakshina Kannada, including the operational status of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) allocated to the district and the action taken to revive it? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (f): 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 / institutes under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Sikhshan 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 Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. The SIM aims at enabling the youth of India to get future-ready, equipped with industry-relevant skills. Government is actively working to expand training opportunities across the country including in rural, tribal, and aspirational districts, by encouraging more training infrastructure, better coverage of underserved areas, and strengthening of skilling initiatives through the State Skill Development Missions. Under PMKVY 4.0, several measures have been taken to enhance the quality, transparency and industry relevance of skill training. The scheme is being implemented through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), an integrated digital platform for skilling, assessment, certification and employment- related services. The scheme emphasizes industry-led and demand-driven skilling, with training aligned to sectoral skill gaps identified through consultations with Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and industry stakeholders. The scheme promotes upskilling and reskilling, including training in emerging technologies and future skills such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Robotics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and Green Technologies. Standardized assessment and certification processes, strengthened quality assurance mechanisms, and greater industry participation have also been incorporated to improve employability outcomes. These measures are being implemented across the country, including in Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh including Bulandshahr, Maharashtra including Palghar District and Karnataka. Under PMKVY 1.0 to PMKVY 3.0, which were implemented during FY-2015-16 to FY 2021-23, a total of 1.11 Crore candidates were certified, out of which 24.38 lakhs were reported placed underthe STT component of the scheme. Further, under PMKVY 4.0, the focus is to empower the trained candidates to choose their varied career paths, and they are suitably oriented for the same. Hence placements are not monitored under PMKVY 4.0. The details of candidates trained & certified, State/UT wise & year-wise under PMKVY and the district-wise data for the states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, including under PMKVY, are available at MSDE’s website (https://www.msde.gov.in/documents?page=1). Funds under PMKVY are released to implementing agencies for meeting the training cost as per prescribed norms. Under JSS scheme, funds are released to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) directly. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs 1500/- per month is released to apprentices through DBT and not to establishments covered. Day to day administration as well as financial control in respect of ITIs, lies with the respective State Government/ UT Administration. The details of funds released under various schemes of MSDE since inception up to 30.06.2026 are given below: (Amount Rs. in Crores) Name of the Scheme Funds released PMKVY (since 2015-16) 10,591.32 JSS (since 2018-19) 1,057.58 NAPS (since 2016-17) 2924.52 An independent third-party impact evaluation of the PMKVY 4.0 was conducted by Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM), an autonomous Institution of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. As per the report, PMKVY training has contributed to a measurable shift in employment outcomes for short term training (STT) candidates. The combined share of employed and self-employed STT respondents increased from 26.6% prior to training to 45.4% after PMKVY training, reflecting an 18.8 percentage point increase. Income- related outcomes also show positive movement, with 41.4% of STT candidates and 48.9% of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) candidates reporting an increase in income following training and certification. Overall, PMKVY 4.0 has significantly expanded access to formal skill training and certification and has generated measurable improvements in skill confidence, employment participation, and income outcomes for a substantial proportion of beneficiaries. Out of 37 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) in the state of Karnataka, one PMKK is available in Dakshin Kannada District. Further, as per the PMKK guidelines, PMKKs were supported through target allocations under the PMKVY scheme for a period of three years, after which they were expected to become self-sustainable. During this period, PMKKs were also permitted to implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)-funded training programs and skill development schemes sponsored by other ministries and organizations. The following steps have been taken by the Government to enhance industry participation, apprenticeship opportunities, improve placement and employment outcomes under the Skill India Mission: i. National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has approved 10209 qualifications as per the industry requirements, including 2975 valid and active qualifications. ii. 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. NSDC, under the market-led program, provides support to training providers that collaborate and align skill courses with industry demand. iii. 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. iv. National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) supports seamless transition from education to work; ensuring apprentices gain industry-specific skills through real-worldexposure. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs 1500/- per month is released to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). v. DGT is implementing the Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST), which are meant to provide training to ITI students in an industrial environment as per their requirements. vi. Government of India has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)/Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the field of skill development and vocational education and training with fourteen countries to align the skilling efforts as per the global requirements. vii. General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of MSDE has introduced 32 new age /future skills courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) under CTS to provide training in emerging areas such as 5G Network Technician, Artificial Intelligence Programming assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Drone Technician etc. viii. DGT has signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Future Skill Rights Network, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft to ensure industry linkages for the institutes at the state and regional levels under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies. ix. Additionally, the Government has launched PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs.60,000 crore. The scheme envisages the upgradation of 1,000 Government ITIs across the country in a hub-and-spoke model comprising 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs. PM-SETU focuses on improving employability outcomes through industry-led governance, and indirectly supports self-employment and entrepreneurship by enabling learners (including early-stage enterprises and first-time entrepreneurs) to acquire industry-relevant skills, gain exposure to real work environments, and access career guidance, placement support, and self-employment support through strengthened institutional systems and industry linkages. x. Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) established at Ahmedabad and Mumbai, in Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode, aims to cultivate an industry-ready workforce for Industry 4.0, equipped with cutting-edge technology and hands-on training. xi. National Skill Development Corporation under the aegis of MSDE, has partnered with a number of international organizations such as AWS, Microsoft, Intel, Redhat, Pearson VUE, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Cisco Networking Academy for providing digital courses. xii. MSDE has launched Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) a unified platform that integrates skilling, education, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystems to provide a life-long array of services targeting a wide range of stakeholders. The details of the trained candidates are available on SIDH portal for connecting with potential employers. Through Skill India Digital Hub, candidates can have access to jobs and apprenticeship opportunities. *****