Lok Sabha Question No. 5056 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Skill Development Initiatives
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri N K Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5056

ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

## 5056.  SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  initiated  any  action  to  bridge  the  gap  between  Industry requirements and training and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  regarding  the  requirements  and  the solution to bridge the gap by providing skill development, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has initiated action to ensure the skill development in graduation courses by considering the requirements in the Industry and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has initiated action to ensure Skill development in youth and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to provide special assistance for adequate infrastructure training and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government has initiated any action to ensure the skill development in rural areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b): Skill Development Programmes of the Government are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors. Skill Gap studies are conducted from time to time by Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) which provide information on the skills needed by the industry and the skill gaps in various sectors. Such studies guide the interventions of the Government aimed at preparing the workforce as per the industry needs. Further, District Skill Committees (DSCs) are mandated with formulating District Skill  Development  Plans  (DSDPs) to promote  decentralized planning  and  implementation  at  the  grassroots.  The  DSDPs  identify  sectors  with  employment opportunities as well as the associated demand for skilling in the district, and map the available facilities for Skill Training.

Through  National  Council  of  Applied  Economic  Research  (NCAER),  the  Ministry  of  Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has conducted a National Skill Gap Study in 2025, covering seven high-growth sectors to establish a robust methodology for analyzing sector-specific skill demands. The seven sectors include -(i) Growing of cereal, leguminous crops and oilseeds; (ii) raising of cattle and buffaloes; (iii) weaving of textiles; (iv) manufacture of motor vehicles, parts & accessories of motor vehicles; (v) electric power generation using solar energy and other nonconventional sources; (vi) retail sale of food, clothing, footwear and leather articles in specialised stores and maintenance & repair of MVs and; (vii) computer programming activities. The study has identified job roles which are facing and are likely to face skilled manpower shortage in the seven sectors.

To  ensure  the  skills  imparted  through  various  scheme  of  MSDE  are  aligned  with  the  industry requirements and technological advancements, the following specific steps have been taken:

- 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. NCVET recognizes the industry bodies as the Awarding Bodies (Abs) and/or Assessment Agencies (AAs).
- The Awarding Bodies 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. NCVET  has approved 9026 qualifications as per the industry requirements, out of which 2599 qualifications are valid and active, and 6427 qualifications are archived.
- NCVET has developed the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence  (NPAI)  Skilling Framework, which outlines the national roadmap, structure and guidelines for skilling in AI, data  science  and  emerging  technologies  serves  as  the  foundational  document  for developing standardized, industry-aligned courses and curricula.
- Directorate General of Training (DGT) is implementing Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST) in collaboration with industries to provide training to ITI students in real industrial environment.
- DGT has signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Microsoft, AWS, Autodesk etc.  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.
- 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.
- DGT  has  introduced  new  age  /future  skills  courses  under  CTS  to  provide  training  in emerging areas such as 5G Network Technician, AI Programming assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Drone Technician etc.
- Two (02) Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) have been established at Ahmedabad and Mumbai, in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with an aim to align industry-ready workforce to emerging economic opportunities.

(c): National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  has  recommended  integration  of  vocational education into mainstream education in all educational institutions. The National Credit Framework (NCrF)  has  been  developed  as  a  comprehensive  credit  accumulation  &  transfer  framework encompassing elementary, school, higher, and vocational education & training. As per NCrF, up to 50 percent of the total credit requirements of graduate/post graduate program can be fulfilled by earning credits from the skill-based courses/ qualifications of appropriate NCrF levels (4.5 to 8.0). Standard Operating Procedure for Operationalisation of NCrF in Higher Education, Vocational Education and School Education, as notified by UGC, ensures that the credits earned through short- term or long-term skilling programmes are fully recognised, transferred or redeemed for formal degree programmes on pan India basis. University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) have formulated guidelines for introduction of Apprenticeship Embedded Degree /Diploma Programmes (AEDP) by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)  to  provide  practical  exposure  during  the  course  of  study  with  the  aim  to  enhance competencies of the graduates.

(d) to (f): 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  Shikshan  Sansthan  (JSS),  National  Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), across the country including the rural areas. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India  to  get  future  ready  and  equipped  with  industry  relevant  skills.  Department  of  Rural Development implements specific skill training programs like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen

Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and through Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), targeting the candidates from rural areas.

The schemes of MSDE are demand driven and training centres under these schemes are set up or engaged on need basis. The details of the training centres engaged under the schemes of MSDE in India are as under:

|           | PMKVY 4.0 Centres (STT+ SP)*   |   JSS Centres | NAPS Establishments   | ITIs (Govt and Pvt)   |
|-----------|--------------------------------|---------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| Pan India | 12,856                         |           294 | 55,424                | 14,688                |

* Short-term Training (STT) and Special Projects (SP)

To enhance the overall quality and relevance of vocational training in the country, Pradhan Mantri Skilling  and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM SETU) scheme inter-alia aims to upgrade 1,000 Government ITIs (200 Hub ITIs and 800 Spoke ITIs) in a Hub and Spoke model, wherein upgradation includes smart classrooms, modern labs, digital content, and new courses  aligned  to  industry  needs.  Also,  it  aims  to  augment  capacity  of  five  NSTIs  located  in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Ludhiana, including setting-up sector-specific National Centres of Excellence for skilling, with focus on advanced training of trainers with global partnership.

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