Lok Sabha Question No. 2710 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Tech Education Reforms
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Dina Patil, Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2710

ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## TECH EDUCATION REFORMS

## 2710.  SHRI SANJAY DINA PATIL: PROF. VARSHA EKNATH GAIKWAD:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of recent reports highlighting structural shifts in education, skilling and technology-led learning reforms being implemented across the country;
- (b) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  align  higher  education institutions and skill centres in Maharashtra with emerging sectors such as Artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing and digital services;
- (c) whether any assessment has been carried out on gaps between skill training outcomes and actual employment opportunities for youth in the State, particularly in non-metro districts, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  total  amount  of  fund  allocated  and  utilised  for  education  modernisation, digital infrastructure and skill ecosystem reforms in Maharashtra during the last three years and the current year; and
- (e) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to ensure that technologydriven  education  reforms  lead  to  equitable  access,  industry-linked  training  and sustainable employment opportunities for students and youth across Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a) & (b) : 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  Sikhshan 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 the state of  Maharashtra. The SIM aims at enabling the youth of India to get future-ready, equipped with industry-relevant skills.

PMKVY 4.0 is being implemented through the Skill Hub Initiative (SHI), wherein Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) such as AICTE-affiliated colleges, State Government Universities, Private Universities, Institutes  of  National  Importance  and  UGC- recognised institutions are empanelled as Skill Hubs to integrate vocational education within the formal academic ecosystem.

With the aim to meet industry demand, drive digital transformation, and build workforce readiness  for  Industry  4.0  and  the  green  transition,  under  PMKVY4.0  specialised short-term and advanced modules focused on AI, Robotics and new age technologies have been introduced.

Under CTS, training in 31 new age courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Industrial Robotics and climate friendly technology, AI, Drone etc. for skilling and upskilling of youth of the country are conducted through a network of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).

(c) Sector  Skill  Councils  (SSCs)  have  undertaken  skill  gap  studies  across sectors   providing demand -supply assessments and manpower projections. District Skill  Committees  (DSCs), established  across  all  States/UTs  are  mandated  with formulating  District  Skill  Development  Plans (DSDPs)  to  support  decentralized, grassroots-level skill planning by identifying local employment opportunities, skilling demand, and available training infrastructure. Government skill programmes are then designed  to  bridge  these  identified  skill  gaps across  sectors.   Additionally,  the SANKALP (Skill Acquisition  and Knowledge  Awareness  for  Livelihood  Promotion)supported National Skill Gap Study by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) provides a standardized, data-driven framework to assess skill gaps across seven  high-growth  sectors.  It  helps  MSDE  align  skilling  initiatives  with  industry demand and future workforce needs.

(d) The  total  amount  of  funds  disbursed  to  Maharashtra  state  under  various schemes  of  MSDE  during  the  last  three  years  including  the  Current  Year  upto 31.12.2025 are as follows:-

| Schemes   |   Total funds disbursed (Rs. in Crores) |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------|
| PMKVY 4.0 |                                   81.14 |
| JSS       |                                   41.1  |

Day-to-day administration as well as financial control in respect of ITIs lies with the respective State Governments/ Union Territory Administration.

Under, NAPS-2, the stipend support by Government of India (GoI) is paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) / Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to the bank  account  of  apprentices.  No  specific  budget  provision  for  the  States/  UTs  is earmarked under the Scheme.

(e) To ensure the skills imparted through various scheme of MSDE are aligned with the industry requirements, technological advancements and creation of sustainable employment opportunities, the following specific steps have been taken:

(i)      National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has been set  up  as  an  overarching  regulator  establishing  regulations  and  standards  to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space.

(ii)       The Awarding Bodies recognised by NCVET are expected to develop the qualifications  as  per  the  industry  demand  and  map  them  with  the  identified occupations as per the National Classification of Occupations, 2015 and obtain industry validations.

(iii)     36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry leaders in the respective sectors, have been set up which identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as to determine skill competency standards.

(iv)       Directorate  General  of  Training  (DGT)  under  the  aegis  of  MSDE  is implementing Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST) which are meant to provide training  to ITI  students  in  industrial  environment  as  per  their requirements.

(v)      Under  PMKVY,  the  new  age/future  skills  job-roles  have  been  specially aligned with Industry 4.0 requirements in areas like AI/ML, Robotics, Mechatronics, Drone Technology, etc. for upcoming market demand and industry requirements.

(vi)     DGT  has  introduced  new  age  /future  skills  courses  in  Industrial  Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) under CTS to provide training in emerging areas such as 5G Network Technician, Artificial Intelligence Programming assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Drone Technician etc.

(vii) DGT has signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Auto Desk and Future Skill Rights Network, to ensure industry linkages for the institutes at the state and regional levels. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies.

(viii)   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  to  key stakeholders.  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.

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