Lok Sabha Question No. 3916 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Women Empowerment via Digital Skills
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Dulu Mahato, Shri Nalin Soren, Shri Bhojraj Nag, Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki, Smt. Shobhanaben Mahendrasinh Baraiya, Smt. Himadri Singh, Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Mukesh Rajput, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Shri Alok Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3916

ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## WOMEN EMPOWERMENT VIA DIGITAL SKILLS

3916.  SHRI ANOOPPRADHAN VALMIKI:          SHRI DULU MAHATO:

SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:

SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT:

SMT. MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH:           SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG:

SHRI BIBHU PRASAD TARAI:

SHRI ALOK SHARMA:

SMT. SHOBHANABEN MAHENDRASINH BARAIYA:

SMT. HIMADRI SINGH:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE:

SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:      SHRI NALIN SOREN:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  expand  existing  programmes  or  launch  new initiatives to ensure wider participation and digital empowerment of women across all regions of  the  country,  particularly  in  rural  and  deprived  areas,  State/UT-wise  including  Jammu  and Kashmir and Jharkhand, particularly Dumka;
- (b) the manner in which the said initiatives are likely to enable women to pursue careers in artificial intelligence sector and their potential contribution to digital inclusivity;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  identified  any  specific  States  or  areas  for  focused implementation in this regard; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a) to (d):     The Government of India is taking proactive steps to improve employability of the youth of the nation, including women across all regions of the country including Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, through skill development. Under the Skill India Mission (SIM) , the Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE) delivers skill,  re-skill  and  up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres under various schemes, viz. Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY),  Jan  Sikhshan  Sansthan  (JSS),  National Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme  (NAPS)  and  Craftsman  Training  Scheme  (CTS)  through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society including women, across the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

To encourage participation of women in skill development programs, special provisions have been made for meeting expenditure on conveyance and boarding & lodging as well as enhanced post placement support. Further, PMKVY 4.0 prioritizes and provides special focus to projects that emphasize women as primary beneficiaries. Training programs in sectors like Electronics, Retail, Healthcare,  Beauty  &  Wellness,  Handicrafts  and  Apparel  are  structured  to  attract  higher participation  from  women.  Skill  Hubs  and  Special  Projects  actively  encourage  women's enrolment. Projects are designed to align with local skill demands, creating opportunities for rural women  to  participate  and  benefit  from  skill  development  schemes.  This  inclusive  approach ensures significant representation and benefit for women in skill training programs across the country. Also, in NAPS Scheme, the introduction of trades in services sector (Optional Trade) has led to the significant improvement in the women participation in apprenticeship. The percentage of women apprentices has observed an increase from 22.79% in 2024-25 to 25.80% in 2025-26.

Under JSS Scheme; the focus is being given to women and other vulnerable sections. Women constitute more than 80% of beneficiaries under JSS. Also, there are 19 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI) and more than 300 ITIs exclusively for women. Government of India approved 30% reservation of seats for women candidates in all ITIs (Govt. & Private) in all courses and these seats could be filled based on the general reservation policy of each respective State/UTs.

MSDE in collaboration with MoWCD has launched a joint initiative named NAVYA -Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls. NAVYA is a pilot initiative aimed at equipping adolescent girls aged 16-18 years with a minimum qualification of class 10, with vocational training mainly in non traditional job-roles. Further, MSDE in collaboration with the Women  Entrepreneurship  Platform  of  NITI  Aayog,  launched  the  Swavalambini  -  a  Women Entrepreneurship  Programme  in  February  2025  in  the  North  Eastern  States  of  Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and also in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The programme aims to cultivate an  entrepreneurial  mindset  among  female  students  through  Entrepreneurship  Awareness Training  (EAP)  and  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme  (EDP).  National  Institute  for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Noida and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati are the implementing agencies for the program.

To  promote  new  age  future  skills  including  digital  skills,  artificial intelligence,  MSDE  has undertaken the following initiatives:

- (i) Under  PMKVY  4.0,  the  dedicated  job  roles  under  "Future  Skills"  category  has  been introduced  with  an  aim  of  preparing  youth  for  opportunities  in  new  and  emerging technologies  including  Artificial  Intelligence,  Machine  Learning,  and  Digital  Marketing. Under AI- related job roles, a total of 19,398 women have been trained from FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 (as on 30 th  June 2025).
- (ii) Apprenticeship training is imparted under 266 designated trade and over 750 Optional trades including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics. Under AI related trades, a total of 670 women apprentices have been engaged under NAPS-2 from FY 2022-23 to FY 2025-26 (as on 30 th  June 2025).
- (iii)    Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of MSDE has introduced 31 new age/future skills courses under CTS in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill  Training  Institutes  (NSTIs)  to  provide  digital  training  in  emerging  areas  such  as Artificial  Intelligence,  Mechatronics,  Internet  of  Things,  Cybersecurity,  Semiconductor, etc. The total women enrolment in new age courses in ITIs under CTS from academic sessions 2019-20 to 2024-25 is 8,463.
- (iv) With  a  view  to  adopt  the  best  practices  in  the  digital  skill  training,  DGT  has  signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading IT tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft. These partnerships facilitate the provision of  technical  and  professional  skills  training  in  modern  technologies,  including  Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics (BDA), Block chain, Cloud Computing, etc.
- (v) Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE has introduced one course 'Artificial Intelligence  Programming  Assistant  (AIPA)'  to  impart  AI -based  skill  training  through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). Also, a microcredential course 'Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)' of 7.5 -hour has been developed for all CTS trainees in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), in collaboration with industry and academic experts.
- (vi)   MSDE has launched the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a unified digital platform aimed at enhancing skill development in youths across the country by providing access to industryrelevant  courses,  job  opportunities,  and  entrepreneurship  support. It  offers  a  diverse selection of AI and Machine Learning (ML) courses -ranging from introductory programs like Fundamentals of Azure AI Speech and Machine Learning to advanced modules such as Google Cloud Generative AI and AI Strategy to Create Business Value in Healthcare -designed to support learners at all proficiency levels and prepare them to thrive in the fast-changing technology landscape.
- (vii) MDE has also collaborated with Microsoft, HCL Tech and Nasccom (with SkillUp), in implementation of a programme on Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR).