Skill development schemes under different Ministries to be merged

The next phase of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), to be rolled out between 2020-25, would be more comprehensive and consolidated with better involvement of the State governments and greater convergence of similar programmes running in other ministries.

“Skill development programmes are run by other ministries as well, but they cater to specific segments. These programmes were introduced before the formation of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Now that there is this separate Ministry we are exploring ways to bring these programmes under one umbrella,” said an official on Tuesday.

Factors such as structure, training hours and the job roles are more or less identical in most of these skill development programmes. So, there is no point in having multiple departments imparting the same kind of training unless the training is given for a niche programme, the official added.

Launched in 2015, PMKVY is currently in its second leg (2016-2020) and aims to benefit 10 million youth through skill training. A budget of ₹12,000 crore has been allocated for a period of four years.

The discussion is also on to increase the participation of States in the implementation of the scheme to have more uniformity.

“The States have also gained experience in terms of implementation of the scheme in the last four years, so the Ministry is planning to give them a bigger role,” said the official. The Ministry may also consider giving a different name to the scheme.

The decision on all the aspects of the next phase of PMKVY will be taken by the next financial year, said the source.