Evaluating Challenges and Reforms Needed in India's Public Skilling Programmes and PMKVY
Despite training 1.40 crore candidates under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), India's skilling outcomes remain inconsistent. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in vocational training is only 28%, far below OECD levels. Key issues include fragmented responsibility between training, assessment, and placement, and a lack of industry participation in Sector Skill Councils (SSCs). The article suggests embedding skills into formal degrees, making SSCs accountable for placement, and expanding the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) to improve employability and bridge the gap between training and industry needs.
Key Points
- PMKVY has trained 1.40 crore candidates, but employability and wage gains remain uneven across sectors.
- Only 4.1% of India's workforce has received formal vocational training, compared to 44% in OECD countries.
- Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) lack credibility because they don't own the training outcomes or placement responsibility.
- The National Education Policy 2020 aims to raise the vocational Gross Enrolment Ratio to 50% by 2035.
Exam Facts
- PMKVY has trained approximately 1.40 crore candidates since 2015.
- India's vocational Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is currently 28%.
- NEP 2020 target for vocational GER is 50% by 2035.
Read it. Retain it. Recall it.
Get spaced-repetition flashcards, daily quizzes and offline access — free on Android.