Lok Sabha Question No. 3050 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Dharmendra Yadav

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3050 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026

## RAIL KAUSHAL VIKAS YOJANA

## †3050. SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  any  specific  skill  development  and  certification  programmes are under implementation for the SC, ST and OBC categories youth in view of modernisation of railways and new technologies like "KAVACH" and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  number  of  trainees  of  the  said  communities who  got  employment under the "Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana" in various railway zones during the last three years;
- (c) the present status of the financial concessions and exemptions (such as EMD  waivers)  being  provided  to  the  entrepreneurs  and  contractors belonging to said categories in railway tenders under the MSME policy; and
- (d) the total number of contracts awarded to vendors of these communities and the financial value thereof as well as new initiatives taken by the
- Government to increase their participation?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d): Indian Railways have a comprehensive training ecosystem, which provides  for  different  sets  of  training  interventions  at  various  stages  of career to ensure skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling of Railway Employees. To make this possible, elaborate infrastructure has been developed by the Indian  Railways  in  form  of  training  centres  across  Zonal  Railways  and Production Units.

All newly  recruited  or  promoted  employees  undergo  the  same structured training framework at various stages of their careers, irrespective  of  their  category  (SC/ST/OBC/General,  etc).  This  includes Induction Training for fresh recruits, Promotional  Training,  Refresher Training,  and  Specialized  Training  (such  as  training  on  new  technologies like 'Kavach' etc.), relevant to their respective fields of work. The training standards and opportunities are uniform for all employees, ensuring parity in skill development and capacity building across categories to strengthen employee competencies and equip railway personnel with the skills needed for modern, technology-intensive operations.

Besides, Indian Railways  also conducts  Apprenticeship  Training Programme  at  its  various  units  like  Production  Units,  Workshops,  Loco Sheds, Carriage and Wagon Depots etc under the provisions of Apprentices Act, 1961, which also contributes to skill development of local youth for all categories.  By  way  of  participating  in  these  programmes,  youth  from  all categories acquire new sets of skills, thereby enhancing their employability and entrepreneurship skills. Reservation of training places in every designated trade in favour of SC/STs are as per the provisions of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.

At  the  same  time,  with  the  aim  of  enhancing  employability  and promoting entrepreneurship among the youth, Indian Railways started the Rail Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana,  a  pan-India  entry-level skill  development programme covering 16 technical trades, at 103 training centres of Zonal Railways & Production Units spread across the country. The scheme has attracted substantial representations from SC/ST/OBC categories.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MoMSME) is the nodal ministry responsible for the implementation of the Public Procurement Policy for goods produced and services rendered by Micro and Small Enterprises(MSEs) of Government of India, which includes concession  and  exemption(such  as  EMD  waivers).  Indian  Railways  has adopted  and  implemented  this  policy  in  its  procurement  framework.  The procurement from SC/ST owned MSEs is as below:

| Financial year      |   Nos. of contracts |   Value (in Rs. Lakhs) |
|---------------------|---------------------|------------------------|
| 2024-25             |                  55 |                 784.29 |
| 2025-26 (till date) |                  60 |                5452.71 |

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