Lok Sabha Question No. 2623 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Entrepreneurship Development among Jail Inmates
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Arvind Dharmapuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2623

ANSWERED ON 17/03/2025

## ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT AMONG JAIL INMATES

2623. SHRI ARVIND DHARMAPURI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is implementing any initiatives for entrepreneurship development among jail inmates in Telangana, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)        the number of jails where the programme has been implemented so far, along with the details of inmate participation, State/UT-wise with specific focus on Telangana;
- (c)        the details of partnerships, if any, with NGOs or international organizations to enhance the effectiveness of the Entrepreneurship Development Programme in prisons; and
- (d)        the details of total funds allocated and utilized for implementing the said initiative, since its inception, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  to (d)      The Government is implementing various initiatives for skill and entrepreneurship development  among  jail  inmates  across  the  country.  Under  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), through special projects, special focus is given on skilling of marginalized and vulnerable groups like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Divyangjan, Women, Transgenders, rural artisans, jail inmates, inmates of juvenile homes etc. The State-wise details of  candidates  trained  under  special  projects  under  Centrally  Sponsored  Centrally  Managed (CSCM) component of PMKVY 2.0 for jail inmates across the country along with funds utilized is at Annexure-I .

Further under special projects in PMKVY 4.0, the targets for skill training of jail inmates have been approved in the following states:

| Name of the Entity                                  | Type of project (STT/ RPL) Social/Target Group - Women/Tribal etc.   | Type of project (STT/ RPL) Social/Target Group - Women/Tribal etc.   | State/UTs of implementation    |   Target approved |
|-----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|
| Directorate of Skill Development, Tripura           | Short-Term Training (STT)                                            | Inmates of jails                                                     | Tripura                        |               240 |
| Skill Development Institute (SDI), Visakhapatnam    | Short-Term Training (STT)                                            | Jail inmates of Rajahmundry and Visakhapatnam jails                  | Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam |              1200 |
| Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) | Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)                                  | Jail Inmates at Kalamba Central Jail, Kolhapur                       | Kolhapur                       |               154 |

In  addition,  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  through  its Autonomous Institute, i.e, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development  (NIESBUD)  has  implemented  a  project  namely  'Promoting  Entrepreneurship Development  among  Jail  Inmates'  during  2022-24.  The  project  is  aimed  at  promoting entrepreneurship  among  jail  inmates  in  the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh  through  capacity  building, mentoring,  and  incubation  support.  The  project  is  being  implemented  in three  Jails  i.e.  Nari Bandi  Niketan,  Lucknow;  Model  Jail,  Lucknow  and  Varanasi  Jail.  The  program  focuses  on economic  rehabilitation,  helping  inmates  develop  sustainable  livelihood  opportunities  postrelease. The key interventions of the project include capacity building, mentoring, value-added skill training, and strengthening livelihood incubation centers within jails. The key objectives of the project are:

- i. To provide entrepreneurial input to the trainees to pursue entrepreneurship;
- ii. To help in Business Idea Generation and assessment;
- iii. To provide value added training for skill up-gradation;
- iv. To equip beneficiaries with better and improved technological skills of production;
- v. To  help  the  trainees  to  access  finance  for  starting  their  enterprises  from  the  banking systems and government support ecosystem;
- vi. To extend mentoring and handholding support to trainees for establishing and running their enterprise;
- vii. To  provide  knowledge  and  support  for  livelihood  avenues  to  trainees  through  selfemployment opportunities;
- viii. To extend incubation support to the beneficiaries.

The  Project  has  been  sanctioned  by  MSDE  to  NIESBUD  at  a  total  cost  of  Rs.  1.54 Crores with a target of 600 inmates. So far, under the project, Rs. 0.91 Crore has been utilized and 460 inmates have been imparted training in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Annexure-I ANNEXURES  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  OF  PART  (A)  TO  (D)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2623 ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025 REGARDING 'ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT AMONG JAIL INMATES'

| S No.   | State             | Project Name                                          | Trained / Oriented   | Certified   | Amount         |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|-------------|----------------|
| 1.      | Assam             | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 493                  | 341         | 17,90,641.14   |
| 2.      | Gujarat           | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 2,463                | 1,638       | 33,10,214.06   |
| 3.      | Haryana           | PMKVY - Special Project - Sunaria Jail Rohtak         | 396                  | 314         | 23,32,413.44   |
| 4.      | Haryana           | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 612                  | 455         | 36,37,550.62   |
| 5.      | Haryana           | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 548                  | 409         | 20,97,613.60   |
| 6.      | Himachal Pradesh  | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 113                  | 98          | 11,08,539.60   |
| 7.      | Jammu and Kashmir | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 473                  | 249         | 30,50,093.18   |
| 8.      | Jammu and Kashmir | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 133                  | 104         | 9,33,507.53    |
| 9.      | Jharkhand         | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 209                  | 181         | 22,13,463.98   |
| 10.     | Karnataka         | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 87                   | 32          | 3,53,207.68    |
| 11.     | Madhya Pradesh    | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 261                  | 241         | 29,07,033.60   |
| 12.     | Maharashtra       | SRI SRI Jail Project                                  | 146                  | 35          | 4,96,569.64    |
| 13.     | Punjab            | Training for Jail Inmates in Gujarat, Haryana and J&K | 1,359                | 1,024       | 52,42,603.31   |
|         |                   | Total                                                 | 7293                 | 5121        | 2,94,73,451.38 |

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