Lok Sabha Question No. 102 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Traditional Occupations of Goa
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Captain Viriato Fernandes

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 102 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS OF GOA

## 102. SHRI CAPTAIN VIRIATO FERNANDES:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether it is a fact that the given documented collapse of local trades carpentry, masonry, weaving and more largely now conducted  by  the  migrant  workers,  both  State  and  Central Government failed to invest in apprenticeship schemes or vocational centres to retain Goan youth in these occupations and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b)the details of the concrete actions taken by the Government to enforce  coastal  fishery  rules  and  provide  patrol  vessels  with traditional fishing communities suffering due to unregulated out-ofstate trawlers and environmental decline;
- (c)whether the Government has any plans to launch targeted funding, market linkages and awareness campaigns to sustain the cultural assets considering the extinction of local crafts like pottery, cane weaving-exacerbated by urban marginalisation and lack of State support, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)whether the Government is planning to introduce heritage grants, technical modernization aid and heritage certification for artisanal food trades vulnerable to commercial replacement in light of the decline of Goan culinary traditions and family-run bakeries, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- (a) to (d): National  Apprenticeship  Training  Scheme  (NATS)  is  a flagship scheme of Government of India for on-the-job training and skilling of Indian youth. It is implemented by the Ministry of Education through  four  regional  Boards  of  Apprenticeship  Training/Practical Training  (BoATs/BoPT)  located  at  Mumbai,  Kanpur,  Chennai  and Kolkata.

NATS provides apprenticeship training to fresh graduates, diploma  holders  and  degree  apprentices.  The  prescribed  minimum stipend for Graduate/Degree apprentices is INR 9,000 per month and for Technician/Diploma apprentices is INR 8,000 per month. Government of India provides 50% of the prescribed minimum stipend for apprentices. NATS has engaged 1.48 lakh, 2.68 lakh and 2.57 lakh apprentices  in  the  financial  years  2021-22,  2022-23,  and  2023-24 respectively.

The  government  launched  NATS  2.0  portal  to  bring students, industry and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on single platform.  Through  NATS  2.0  portal,  the  government  has  started disbursing its share of the stipend through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.

To  encourage  enrolment  under  NATS,  several  outreach activities have been conducted in the form of Apprenticeship Fairs, Career Guidance Programmes, and Industry -Institute meets. Further, to improve the reach of NATS, an MoU has been signed with CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd. to leverage the CSC network.

The details of apprentices engaged, and Industries registered under the scheme, year-wise for the past three financial years in r/o State of Goa is given below:

| Year    |   Total apprentices engaged |   Total industries registered till date |
|---------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 2021-22 |                         529 |                                     118 |
| 2022-23 |                         766 |                                     123 |
| 2023-24 |                         798 |                                     137 |

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme was launched on 17.09.2023  to  provide  end-to-end  support  to  artisans  and  crafts people of 18 trades who work with their hands and tools, including carpenter, mason. Under the scheme, PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries across the country including Goa, are provided support for marketing, branding, packaging, skill upgradation etc. PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries    are     facilitated     to    display    and     sell       their

handicrafts/products through various trade fairs, state level exhibitions etc. Also, online marketing support is also provided to PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries through various e-commerce platforms to promote sale of their products in the domestic as well as international markets.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Scheme, beneficiaries across the country including Goa, are provided support to  address  critical  gaps  in  the  fisheries  value  chain  from  fish production,  productivity  and  quality  to  technology,  post-harvest infrastructure and marketing etc. The scheme aims to modernize and strengthen  the  value  chain,  enhance  traceability  and  establish  a robust fisheries management framework while simultaneously ensuring the socio-economic welfare of fishers and fish farmers.

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