4.29 lakh youth trained in J&K under Skill India Mission: Centre

New Delhi, Dec 2: The Centre on Tuesday said 4,29,954 (four lakh twenty nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty-four) youth were trained in Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) as part of the Skill India Mission (SIM), while multiple other centrally sponsored schemes continue to operate for reskilling and upskilling in the Union Territory.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary said, “The Skill India Mission provides skill, re-skill and up-skill training through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and other centres under schemes that include PMKVY, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS).”
According to the State and UT-wise records placed before Parliament, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 4,454 apprentices engaged under NAPS, 12,996 candidates trained under JSS, 4,29,954 trained under PMKVY, and 57,630 enrolments under CTS between their respective periods of implementation, the reply said, adding that the District Skill Committees in all States and Union Territories, including J&K, prepare District Skill Development Plans to identify local employment opportunities, skill gaps and available training infrastructure. The schemes are designed to align government interventions with sector-wise needs and industry demand.
The Minister said independent third-party evaluations have been used to assess the impact of the schemes.
Citing previous assessments, he informed the House that PMKVY has shown positive employer response, while JSS has recorded increased incomes and livelihood outcomes among beneficiaries.
Similarly, ITI tracer studies and NAPS evaluations highlighted improvements in employability and apprenticeship participation.
On a query regarding the possibility of making at least one skill-training course mandatory in non-professional undergraduate programmes, the government said the National Education Policy 2020 has already led to a revised curriculum framework under the University Grants Commission.
The framework includes provision for minor stream vocational courses with a minimum of 12 credits to build job-oriented skills.
The reply added that the government will continue strengthening industry partnerships, internship-linked learning and mobility programmes to align technical and higher education with market requirements. (KNO)