Congress leader KC Venugopal. File. | Photo credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by senior Congress leader KC Venugopal, on Friday (February 20, 2026) criticized the government for what members described as “inadequate” implementation of the Skill and Knowledge Acquisition for Livelihood (SANKALP) scheme, a flagship program of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The panel examined the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which highlighted significant delays and deficiencies in both financial and physical progress under the scheme. According to the CAG, between 2017-18 and 2023-24 (as on October 2023), only 44% of the budgeted provision for SANKALP has been disbursed, reflecting persistent underutilization of funds. The audit also highlighted poor adherence to implementation guidelines and a slow pace of implementation across components.
Approved by the government’s Economic Affairs Committee in October 2017 with a total outlay of ₹4,455 crore, SANKALP was designed to strengthen short-term skill training through better institutional frameworks, better linkages with industry and targeted inclusion of marginalized communities. The program was to be financed through a World Bank loan of ₹3,300 crore, government leverage of ₹660 crore and industry leverage of ₹495 crore.
Launched in January 2018, SANKALP was initially expected to be completed by March 2023, but was later extended to March 2024. Against the first tranche of the agreed World Bank loan of US$ 250 million, the institution disbursed ₹ 1,606.15 million (86%), but the ministry utilized only ₹ 31,850 out of the ₹ 2,850 million.
The CAG attributed part of the delay to “unpreparedness” within the ministry before the loan period began. PAC members reiterated this assessment during Friday’s meeting and questioned the government over the absence of a central monitoring mechanism and gaps in due diligence.
Several MPs also noted that there was no clear plan for integrating skills into the school curriculum from primary to upper secondary level, despite this being a key expectation linked to improving long-term employability outcomes.
Published – 20 Feb 2026 21:58 IST