Lok Sabha Question No. 3817 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Role of Structured Skill Gaps
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal

## Government of India Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Department of Youth Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3817 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## Role of Structured Skill Gaps

## 3817. SHRI K C VENUGOPAL:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  role  of  structured mentoring in addressing skill gaps, employability and confidence among young people, especially first-generation learners and young women;
- (b) the details  of  existing  mentoring  programmes  implemented through youth platforms such as Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), National Service Scheme (NSS) and Skill India and their coverage and outcomes so far;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to launch a national mentoring framework integrated with education, skilling and employment ecosystems for youth; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  to  involve  corporates,  professionals  and  civil society organisations in large-scale youth mentoring through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and volunteer networks?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DR. MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

(a)& (b) The  National  Service  Scheme  (NSS)  of  Ministry  of  Youth Affairs  &  Sports  conducts  training  programmes such  as  ' Effective Leadership  Programme"  for  volunteers,  focusing  on  public  speaking, professional  ethics,  and  social  responsibility.  During  7-day  special camps, senior volunteers or external experts mentor participants on specific themes like watershed management, wasteland development, disaster management, assisting students in navigating higher education and job opportunities, mentoring for community engagement, such as in slum development or literacy campaigns, sessions focusing on stress management  and  personal  development. At  present  the  coverage  of NSS is 38.81 lakh Volunteers enrolled in all the States/UTs throughout the Country.

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  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  SIM  aims  at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has recommended integration  of  vocational  education  into  mainstream  education  in  all educational  institutions.  For  integration  of  vocational  education  into mainstream  education,  the  following  initiatives  inter-alia  have  been taken:

(i)  Under  the  vocational  education  component  of  Samagra  Shiksha scheme,  National  Skills  Qualifications  Framework  (NSQF)  compliant vocational courses are offered to the students from class 9th to 12th in eligible  schools.  At  the  Secondary  level  (Class  9  and  10),  vocational modules are offered to the students as an additional subject. At the Senior Secondary level (Class 11 and 12), vocational courses are offered as a compulsory (elective) subject.

- (ii) Employability Skills consisting of communication  skills, selfmanagement skills, information and communication technology skills, entrepreneurship skills and green skills have been made mandatory part of the vocational courses.
- (iii) National Curriculum Framework for School Education, developed in pursuance  of  National  Education  Policy  2020,  has  laid  down  the objectives of approaches to Vocational Education. One of the objectives is  that  vocational capacities, knowledge, and relevant values will be developed for all students, and this will create the possibility of them joining the workforce after school if they choose to.
- (iv) PMKVY 4.0 is also being implemented through schools under Skill Hubs initiative, in co-operation with the Department of School Education and Literacy. Skill Hubs Initiative provides blended learning opportunities, creating pathways for long-term career development.
- (v) University Grants Commission (UGC) has facilitated Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to offer skill-based programmes as per the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).

To synergize initiatives of skill development in the country and to fulfil  the  regional  skill  requirements,  the  schemes  of  MSDE  focus  on implementation  of  training  interventions  with  participation  of  States and  Districts  through  State  Skill  Development  Mission  (SSDMs)  and District Skill Committees (DSCs). DSCs identify sectors with employment opportunities as well as the associated demand for skilling in the district, and map the available facilities for Skill Training. Skill Development Programmes  of the Government  are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, is running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including jobs from private and government sectors, information on online & offline job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance,

mentorship,  information  on  skill  development  courses,  skill/training programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].

(c) No such proposal is under consideration in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

(d) CSR  Foundations  such  as  SBI  Foundation,  Piramal  Foundation, Paytm  Foundation  and  Reliance  Foundation  have  joined  MY  Bharat portal,  a  youth  engagement  digital  platform  of  the  Ministry  of  Youth Affairs & Sports. Out of these, SBI Foundation and Reliance Foundation have  posted  their  scholarship  opportunities  on  MY  Bharat  for  wider outreach to the youth of India.

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