Lok Sabha Question No. 1080 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Digital and Online Skill Development Programme
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1080

ANSWERED ON 29/07/2024

## DIGITAL AND ONLINE SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

1080       SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

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

- (a) Whether the Government has taken any initiatives to promote digital and online skill development programmes; (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has leveraged technology to expand access to skill training during and after the COVID-19 pandemic; 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) 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/ institutes etc. 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. The  Government introduced the online skill training in both short term and long term during COVID 19 pandemic period to restore the skilling activities.  Online short term training was imparted through eskill India portal and long term training through Bharat skill portal .  In the post pandemic period also Government increased the pace to provide digital skills which are crucial to ensure  skilling  for  the youth and also to address the requirements of Industrial Revolution 4.0. The details of initiatives taken by MSDE to promote digital and online skill training are as under:

- (i)         MSDE has launched Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a mobile-first digital platform, in September, 2023 to synergize India's skill development, education, employment, and entrepreneurship  landscape.  Its  primary  objective  is  to  provide  a  comprehensive  and accessible  platform  for  skill  enhancement,  offering  industry-relevant  skill  courses,  job opportunities,  and  entrepreneurship  support.  SIDH  is  a  digital  expansion  of  skilling

opportunities and integrated platform that have digital job exchange between stakeholders. SIDH is at the intersection of two of the most important components of the Government-  Skill  India  &  Digital  India.  Built  on  Mobile-First  approach,  SIDH  caters diverse needs of a citizen for skill development such as discovery of courses, schemes, apprenticeships, and job opportunities based on preferences and aspirations, Learning Management  System  for  digital  skilling,  Portable  Verified  Credentials,  etc.  It  aims  to serve  as  India's  Digital  Public  Infrastructure  (DPI)  for  skill  development,  education, employment  and  entrepreneurship  landscape.    As  on  June,  2024,  around  88  lakh candidates  have  been  registered,  9.59  lakh  mobile  app  have  been  downloaded  and 7.63  lakh  candidates  have  been  enrolled  for  online  courses  on  SIDH  which  has  752 online  courses,  leading  to  7.37  lakh  minutes  of  digital  content  readily  available  and accessible 24X7 for learners.

- (ii)         Directorate General of Training (DGT)  under the aegis of MSDE implemented the  Skills  Strengthening  for  Industrial  Value  Enhancement  (STRIVE)  project  with  the objective  of  improving  the  relevance  and  efficiency  of  skills  training  provided  through ITIs  and  apprenticeships.  Under  the  project  digital  content  in  blended  mode  was developed  for  14  trades  in  two  phases.   Further,  for  immersive  learning  environment among ITIs, a Virtual Reality  (VR)  project  was  conducted  as  a  pilot  in  05  ITIs  for  04 trades  namely   electrician,  fitter,  Mechanic  Motor  Vehicle  and  Welder.    This  includes procurement of hardware and software relevant to imparting trainings under VR mode.
- (iii)        The  Bharatskills portal launched to  support digital skill development, provides access to a range of educational materials, including e-books, question banks, and elearning  videos,  available  in  12  regional  languages.   Presently,  the  portal  hosts approximately 553 e-books, 337 question banks, 190 study material videos, and 6201 e-learning  videos,  available  in  12  regional  languages,  ensuring  broad  and  inclusive access to skill training.
- (iv)       The DGT has also 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), Blockchain, Cloud  Computing,  and  more.  This  training  is  available through  the Bharatskills portal (https://bharatskills.gov.in), a central repository that supports around 23.7 lakh trainees by offering courses designed to make them industry-ready.
- (v)         Additionally,  the  DGT,  in  collaboration  with  IBM  under  Corporate  Social Responsibility  (CSR),  offers  a  2-year  Advanced  Diploma  (Vocational)  program  in  IT, Networking, and Cloud Computing across 15 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).

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