New Delhi: More than 11.1 million candidates were certified under the skill training program in the seven years to FY23 and more than 2.4 million people were reported to have been placed on mandatory on-the-job training by the end of FY25, the government informed Parliament.
About 14.56 lakh Scheduled Caste candidates have been certified and placements of 3.74 lakh people have been reported, while of the 5.08 lakh Scheduled Tribe certified candidates, 1.27 lakh have secured placements under the scheme, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship informed Parliament on Monday citing data on Pradhan Mantri Kaushal PMikasYY
Inquiries emailed to the ministry remained unanswered as of press time.
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Responding to a query raised by Telangana MP Mallu Ravi, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said that under the Centre’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry provides skill training, retraining and upskilling through a large network of skill development centers under various schemes like PMSSKVY, AppsSS National Support (Jan Sikhticeshan) Schemethan Sikhticeshan and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through industrial training institutes (ITIs) to all sections of society across the country.
The Minister said that several measures have been put in place to improve employability and align training with industry requirements, including regulatory oversight through the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and the development of qualifications in relation to industry demand.
According to the ministry, 36 sector skills councils have been set up to identify skill requirements across sectors and define competency standards.
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Emerging skills
“Additionally, the Directorate General of Training (DGT) has introduced new courses in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, drone technology and 5G network maintenance to align skill training with evolving industry needs,” the ministry said.
The government has also partnered with technology companies such as IBM, Cisco, Microsoft and AWS to strengthen linkages with industry and provide training in advanced technologies.
“It’s the real exposure to the workplace that eventually gets the job, although having a qualification can help. While initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana have played a significant role in ensuring access to skill development across India, the next phase is to ensure that skill development translates into job outcomes,” said Sonal Arora, country manager at GI Group Holding, a global HR solutions provider.
“This can be achieved by strengthening apprenticeships, as they equip individuals with work experience and help businesses develop work-ready talent. Skills initiatives can be a much more effective way of ensuring job fulfillment by equipping individuals with both qualifications and work experience,” Arora said.
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“Under PMKVY 4.0, the objective was to enable our trained candidates to choose their diverse career path and be properly oriented towards it. This opportunity is also provided by various IT tools like Skill India Digital hub,” the ministry said in its reply.
The ministry has been implementing its flagship program PMKVY since 2015. The program provides skills training to youth across the country through short-term training and recognition of prior education, which focuses on reskilling and upskilling.
The current phase of the programme, PMKVY 4.0, aims to provide skill training to 1.5 million candidates between FY23 and FY26.
In the Union budget for 2026-2027, the amount was proposed to be allocated ₹9,885.80 crore for the department, a sharp increase over the revised estimate ₹2,703.54 crore for the period 2025-26. The allocation for the current fiscal year was previously budgeted at ₹6,100 crore, but was later reduced at the revised estimate stage, according to the budget documents.
