**Summary:**
The Ministry of Rural Development implements the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) programs under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to enhance skill development and employment opportunities for rural youth, with the goal of poverty eradication.
DDUGKY focuses on placement-linked skilling for rural youth aged 15-35, providing jobs with regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wage. The program mandates social inclusion, with targets for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (50%), women (33%), and Persons with Disabilities (5%). RSETIs, funded by the Ministry and established by sponsoring banks, offer skill and entrepreneurship development training. RSETIs also provide training to unemployed youth aged 18-50 interested in self or wage employment.
As of June 2025, DDUGKY has trained 1,750,784 candidates and placed 1,148,247. RSETI has trained 5,669,265 candidates and settled 4,099,578 since its inception.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was signed in June 2025 to promote rural skill development.
DDUGKY projects are implemented by Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs), which can include government or semi-government organizations, NGOs registered with NITI Aayog, entities registered under various acts (Indian Trust Acts, State Society Registration Act, Cooperative Societies Acts, Companies Act, Limited Liability Partnership Act), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and federations. PIAs generally need to be more than three years old, although exceptions may apply for startups. There are 466 PIAs across India.
RSETI is a bank-led scheme.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on July 25, 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Rural Development: The Indian government ministry responsible for implementing rural development programs.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission DAYNRLM: A national mission by the Ministry of Rural Development to reduce poverty by enabling the poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana DDUGKY: A placement-linked skill development program under DAY-NRLM focused on providing skills to rural youth and connecting them with employment opportunities.
Rural Self Employment Training Institutes RSETI: Training institutes funded by the Ministry of Rural Development and established by banks to provide skill and entrepreneurship development training.
NITI Aayog: A policy think tank of the Government of India.
Jharkhand state: A state in eastern India, mentioned in the context of the number of Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) operating under the DDUGKY scheme.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship: A ministry in the Indian government focused on skill development and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani: Minister of State for Rural Development.
Ministry of Rural Development
ROLE OF NRLM IN ENHANCING SKILL
DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
Posted On: 25 JUL 2025 5:48PM by PIB Delhi
Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), this Ministry
implements Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment
Training Institutes (RSETI) programmes for skill development of rural poor youth through their employment
to eradicate poverty in the country.
Objective of DDU-GKY is to provide placement linked skilling for rural youth, who are poor and provide
them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. DDU-GKY is a placement-
linked skill development programme for rural poor youth in the age group of 15-35 years. It empowers the
rural poor youth with employable skills and facilitates their participation in regular labour markets. DDU-
GKY guideline provides social inclusion of SC/ST (50%), Women (33%), and PwDs (5%).
RSETI is a Ministry of Rural Development funded training institutions established by the sponsoring Banks in
their Districts, to provide training for skill and entrepreneurship development. This Ministry extends financial
support for the construction of RSETI building and also bears the cost of training the 'rural poor' candidates.
There is also a provision for training at RSETI to any unemployed youth in the age group of 18-50 year
having an aptitude to take up self-employment or wage employment.
In the country, under DDU-GKY a total of 17,50,784 candidates have been trained and a total of 11,48,247
candidates have been placed, and under RSETI, a total of 56,69,265 candidates have been trained and a total
of 40,99,578 candidates have been settled since inception till June 2025.
Further, an MoU between the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship has been signed in June 2025.
Under DDU-GKY, projects are implemented in project mode by Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).
These PIAs may be any entity, which is:
i) a Government or semi-government organization at the National and State level,
ii) NGO registered with NITI Aayog,
iii) registered under Indian Trust Acts or any State Society Registration Act or any State Cooperative
Societies or Multi-State Cooperative Acts or the Companies Act 2003 or the Limited Liability
Partnership Act 2008, or Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and its federations namely Cluster Level
Federation/Block Level Federation,
iv) more than three years old entity except Start-ups, etc.
State-wise number of Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) including in Jharkhand state under DDU-GKY is
given at Annexure-I.
RSETI is a bank led scheme.
ANNEXURE I
“Role of NRLM in enhancing skill development and employment opportunities”State / UT Total No. of PIAs
ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS 4
ANDHRA PRADESH 35
ARUNACHAL PRADESH 4
ASSAM 12
BIHAR 7
CHHATTISGARH 10
GUJARAT 15
HARYANA 32
HIMACHAL PRADESH 18
JAMMU & KASHMIR 10
JHARKHAND 28
KARNATAKA 7
KERALA 24
MADHYA PRADESH 21
MAHARASHTRA 43
MANIPUR 6
MEGHALAYA 7
MIZORAM 3
NAGALAND 5
ODISHA 26
PUDUCHERRY 3
PUNJAB 32
RAJASTHAN 31
SIKKIM 3
TAMIL NADU 36
TELANGANA 28
TRIPURA 4
UTTAR PRADESH 90
UTTARAKHAND 14
WEST BENGAL 23
Grand Total 466
Source: Kaushal Bharat portal.
This information was given by Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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RC/ KSR/AR(Release ID: 2148466)