Lok Sabha Question No. 2516 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-15
Subject: Apprenticeship and On-the Job Training (OJT)
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Mukesh Rajput, Shri Devusinh Chauhan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2516

ANSWERED ON -15/12/2025

## APPRENTICESHIP AND ON-THE JOB TRAINING (OJT)

2516.  SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN:

SHRI MUKESH RAJPUT:

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

- (a) the  measure  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  mandatory  On-the  Job Training (OJT) in short-term courses under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 along  with  the  penalties  applicable  upon  training  providers  who  fail  to  provides  a  genuine placement;
- (b) the  target  of  the  Government  to  increase  the  number  of  active  apprentices  under  the Pradhan  Mantri  National  Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme  (PM-NAPS)  during  the  Financial Year 2025-26;
- (c) the manner in which the Government is promoting short term micro-credential courses and the manner in which industry is likely to recognize and evaluate these courses compared to full-term certificates; and
- (d) whether the Government has reviewed the ease of doing business measures relating to engagement of apprentices by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to reduce the compliance burden under the Apprenticeship Act?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a) On-Job-Training (OJT)  is  an  integral  component  of  the  PMKVY 4.0  to  ensure  trainees gain real-industry exposure. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship ensures identification and mapping of OJT partners at the training proposal submission stage itself. The training providers are required to declare the start and end date for the OJT on Skill India Digital Hub  (SIDH)  portal.  The  establishments  offering  OJT  issue  a  certificate  upon  complication, indicating the trainee's duration of training and attendance. This certificate is also uploaded on the SIDH portal.

Under PMKVY 4.0 which is under implementation since FY 2022-23, the focus is to empower our trained candidates to choose their varied career path and they are suitably oriented for the same through On-Job Training (OJT) embedded industry relevant skill courses.

- (b) In the current financial year (2025-26), a physical target of 13 lakh apprentices has been set  under  the  National  Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme  (NAPS),  out  of  which  7.12  lakh apprentices have been engaged up to October 2025.
- (c) In order to provide more flexibility in skilling ecosystem, smaller modules of learning in the  form  of  National  Occupational  Standards  (NOS)  and  Micro  Credentials  (MC)  have  been approved under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). A NOS / Micro-Credential defines measurable workplace competencies, knowledge and skills delivered through focused,

flexible  learning  units  for  upskilling,  reskilling,  cross  sectoral  skilling  and  meeting  specific industry needs starting from 7.5 hours duration. On the basis of demand and requirement of the industries, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) approves the

NOS / Micro-credentials after the mandatory industry validations.

(d) An enhanced version of the apprenticeship portal facilitates an integrated digital process for  establishments,  including  MSMEs,  to  manage  activities  such  as  registration,  course selection, candidate engagement, contract issuance, training monitoring, stipend management, and  assessment  uploads.  To  make  these  processes  easier  and  reduce  compliance  burden, establishments  may  avail  support  from  district-level  Assistant  Apprenticeship  Advisers  and empanelled Third Party Aggregators (TPAs).

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