Lok Sabha Question No. 5027 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Special Skill Training Centres for Youth
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Harendra Singh Malik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5027

ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## SPECIAL SKILL TRAINING CENTRES FOR YOUTH

## 5027. SHRI HARENDRA SINGH MALIK:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  open  any  special  'Skill  Training  Centres'  in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli for youth desirous of working in the local sugar, steel and paper mills and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  any  budget  has  been  allocated  under  the  Skills  Acquisition  and  Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) scheme for equipping Government Industrial Training  Institutes  in  Muzaffarnagar  with  modern  machinery  and  starting  new  courses  in accordance with the requirements of the local industries;
- (c) if so, whether there is any proposal to provide training and financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (PMKYU) to small start-ups in Muzaffarnagar that produce new products from sugarcane waste (bagasse and molasses) and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government, in collaboration with local mills, proposes to start "on-the-job training"  (apprenticeship)  programmes  to  provide  rural  youth  with  the  opportunity  to  work  in factories and receive a stipend while pursuing their studies; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a): 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 including Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Uttar Pradesh. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

The schemes of MSDE are demand-driven and the Training Centres are set up or engaged on need basis. Under PMKVY 4.0, 36 Training Centres in Muzaffarnagar and 13 Training Centres in Shamli, offered trainings across sectors including Electronics, Iron & Steel, Capital Goods, Green Jobs,  Food  Processing,  Handicrafts,  Textile,  Plumbing,  and  Healthcare,  many  of  which  were directly or indirectly aligned with the requirements of local industries including sugar, steel, and paper mills.

- (b): Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP), a World Bank- loan-assisted Centrally Sponsored Scheme, was launched in January 2018 and concluded on 31st March 2025. SANKALP had three key result areas viz: (i) Institutional Strengthening at

Central, State & District level; (ii) Quality Assurance of skill development programmes; and (iii) Inclusion of marginalized population in skill development programmes. Funds were allocated on the basis of the proposals submitted by the States, keeping the specific requirements of the state as per the three Result Areas identified under SANKALP. Additionally, funds were also released to the states under the Aspirational Skill Abhiyan (ASA) for strengthening of the skill ecosystem in  aspirational  districts.  No  specific  budget  was  allocated  under  the  SANKALP  scheme  for equipping Government Industrial Training Institutes

(c): The  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  in  association  with Wadhwani Operating Foundation  (WOF)  launched  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Yuva  Udyamita  Vikas Abhiyan (PM-YUVA) on 9th November, 2016 with the objective to create an enabling ecosystem for entrepreneurship development through entrepreneurship education and training across the country. This  was  implemented  in  Institutes  of Higher  Learning  (Colleges,  Universities, Polytechnics). The scheme was restructured in June 2018 to include skill training institutes under MSDE,  namely,  Industrial  Training  Institutes  (ITIs),  Jan  Shikshan  Sansthan  (JSS),  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and Polytechnics. PM-YUVA II continued from November 2019 to March 2022 and was implemented through National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), an autonomous institution under the administrative control MSDE, in around 300 Institutes under the skill ecosystem. The aim of the Pilot Project was to promote  entrepreneurship  as  an  alternate  career  choice  and  provide  mentoring  support  to potential and early-stage entrepreneurs from the skill ecosystem. The project was implemented in Ten States and Two Union Territories (viz. Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi and Puducherry).

(d) & (e): Under PMKVY 4.0, On-the-Job Training (OJT) is a mandatory component of ShortTerm  Training  (STT)  for  National  Skill  Qualification  Framework  (NSQF)-aligned  job  roles,  as prescribed by the National Council of Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), to provide hands-on industry exposure. Training Providers partner with local enterprises for structured OJT with stipends, while State Missions facilitate access to nearby opportunities, enhancing practical skills and placements.

NAPS supports seamless transition from education to work, ensuring apprentices gain industryspecific skills through real-world exposure. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs 1500/- per month is released to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Directorate General of Training (DGT) has restructured and rationalized CTS qualifications in line with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 by revising the annual notional training duration from 1600 hours to 1200 learning hours and introduced a mandatory provision of 150 hours of the Onthe-Job  Training  (OJT)/Group  Project  from  the  academic  session  2022 -23  onwards  for  ITI trainees under CTS.

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