Lok Sabha Question No. 2355 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-15
Subject: Youth Unemployment in Puducherry
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Ve Vaithilingam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2355

ANSWERED ON 15.12.2025

## YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN PUDUCHERRY

2355.  SHRI VE VAITHILINGAM:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that Puducherry has a rising rate of unemployment among youth due to  mismatch  between  available  jobs  and  skills,  lack  of  vocational  training  centres  and  in sufficient entrepreneurship opportunities;
- (b) if so, the comprehensive details of all skill development programmes, training initiatives, job  fairs,  start-up  support  schemes  and  collaboration  with  industries  undertaken  by  the Government  to  provide  employment  opportunities  and  enhance  employability  of  youth  in Puducherry; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor and the proposed measures to address youth unemployment in a sustainable and effective manner?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  to  (c): As  per  the  latest  estimates  of  Periodic  Labour  Force  Survey  (PLFS)  2023-24 conducted  by  the  National  Sample  Survey  (NSS)  of  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme Implementation (PLFS), the unemployment rate on usual status for youth of age 15-29 years from UT of Puducherry has decreased from 33.5 percent in 2017-18 to 14.6 percent in 2023-24.

Under the Government of India's 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 Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including Puducherry. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

The  details  of  the  candidates  trained  under  major  schemes  of  MSDE  in  Puducherry  are  as under:

| PMKVY   | NAPS   | ITI   |
|---------|--------|-------|
| 35,597  | 14,080 | 5,336 |

The schemes of MSDE are demand driven and training centres under these schemes are set up or engaged on need basis. The details of the training centres engaged under the schemes of MSDE in Puducherry are as under:

|   PMKVY 4.0 Centres (STT+SP)* |   NAPS Establishments |   Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) |
|-------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|                            22 |                   268 |                                      15 |

* Short-Term Training (STT) and Special Projects (SP)

To align the training programs as per the market needs, 36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry leaders in the respective sectors, have been set up which are mandated to identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as to determine skill competency standards. National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has approved 8693 qualifications as per the industry requirements, out of which 2266 qualifications are valid and active, and 6427 qualifications are archived for being not relevant.

MSDE has launched Skill  India  Digital  Hub  (SIDH)  a  unified  platform  that  integrates  skilling, education,  employment,  and  entrepreneurship  ecosystems  to  provide  a  life-long  array  of services. The details of the trained candidates are available on SIDH portal for connecting with potential  employers.  Through  SIDH,  candidates  can  have  access  to  jobs  and  apprenticeship opportunities.  Further,  Rozgar  Melas  and  Pradhan  Mantri  National  Apprenticeship  Melas (PMNAMs) have been organized to facilitate the placements and apprenticeship opportunities to the certified candidates across the country including Puducherry.

To  create  wage-  and  self-employment  opportunities,  Government  of  India  has  taken  various initiatives to promote an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem through entrepreneurship education, training, and advocacy; in addition to the Skill Development training. The details of various initiatives to promote an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem are as under:

- (i) Implementation  of  schemes/programmes  for  the  entrepreneurship  promotion  like  PM's Employment Generation Programme; MSE-Cluster Development Programme; Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries; A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship; Startup India; Startup Village Entrepreneurship Program; PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises; Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs Scheme, etc.
- (ii)   With intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments  in  the  Startup  ecosystem  of  the  country,  the  Government  launched  the Startup India initiative in January 2016. The flagship Schemes namely, Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) support Startups at various stages of their business cycle.
- (iii)  Further, to provide access to credit/loan to youth for establishing business enterprises or start-ups,  the  Government  implements  various  schemes  like  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Stand-Up India, PM Vishwakarma, etc.
- (iv)   MSDE through its autonomous institutions, i.e, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Noida and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati conducts Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP) and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) to promote entrepreneurship across the country including Puducherry.

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