Why in News
A Parliamentary Standing Committee flagged a major gap between training and employment under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), highlighting low wages, poor retention and distress migration.
What is DDU-GKY?
- Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.
- Launched: 2014.
- Target: Poor rural youth aged 15–35 years.
- Nature: Placement-linked skill development scheme.
- Training providers are assessed on training, placement and post-placement retention.
- Implemented through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).
Key Findings of the Committee
- 18.38 lakh youth trained and 11.94 lakh placed as of March 2026.
- Low wages and relocation costs lead to early job exits.
- 9.65 lakh women trained and 6.03 lakh placed.
- PIAs focus more on initial placement than sustained employment.
Major Challenges
- Skill-training does not match labour market demand.
- Poor training quality and infrastructure.
- Low wages reduce job retention.
- Migration creates financial and social pressures.
- Weak post-placement tracking.
Committee Recommendations
- Near 100% placement tracking.
- Mandatory industry linkages and local placement drives.
- District-level placement cells.
- Migration assistance, mentorship and retention support.
- Assess PIAs on sustained employment, not just initial placement.
- Set and monitor minimum wage employment targets.
Skill Development Initiatives
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
- DAY-NRLM
- Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs)
- Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP)
- Skill India Digital
[2023, GS2, 15 marks] Skill development programs have succeed in increasing human resources supply to various sectors. In the context of the statement analyze the linkages between education, skill and employment.”
[2018] With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements:
- It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
- It, among other things will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
- It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[a] 1, 2, and 3
[b] 1 and 3 only
[c] 2 only
[d] 2 and 3 only