Skill India Mission

Skill India Mission was Launched in 2015 as a Centre Sector Scheme under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Aim: To provide a strong institutional framework to implement and scale up skill development and to impart training to 1 crore youth every year.
Skill Development through:
- Short-term training: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
- Long-term training: Craftsmen Training Scheme through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
Other Schemes
- Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) to standardize quality training.
- Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana promotes entrepreneurship.
- PM Vishwakarma Yojana supports traditional artisans by modernizing their skills.
- SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion)

Restructured Skill India Programme

It is a composite Central Sector Scheme under MSDE.
Aim: To provide structured skill development, on-the-job training, and community-based learning ensuring access to high-quality vocational education.
Formal recognition of skills: All certifications are mapped to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and seamlessly integrated with DigiLocker and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0)

Provides NSQF-aligned demand-driven skill training through Short-Term Training (STT) and reskilling and upskilling through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Target beneficiary: 15-59 years
Future Skills: 400+ new courses on emerging technologies like AI, 5G technology, Cybersecurity, Green Hydrogen, Drone Technology etc.
Skill Hubs: Established across premier academic institutions like IITs, NITs, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), CIPET etc.
International Mobility Initiatives: Equipping Indian workers with globally recognized skills through Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs), sectorial skill gap studies and training in domain skills, soft skills etc.
- India has signed MMPAs with 10 countries. E.g. France, Germany, Israel etc.
- 30 Skill India International Centers to be set up to cater to the demand for skilled workers for foreign countries.
Whole-of-government approach: Inter-ministerial convergence and “Ease of Doing Business” approach for seamless execution of skilling initiatives.
E.g. collaboration with PM Vishwakarma, PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, National Green Hydrogen Mission, NAL JAL Mitra etc.

Need for Restructuring Skill India Mission

In-silos approach: Low impact of schemes like PM-NAPS, PMKVY, and JSS due to lack of convergence in impact on skilling of population.
Industry-academia linkage: Lack of industry-specific skilling leading to low employability.
- E.g. Under PMKVY while 3,155,984 are enrolled, only 1,445,166 are certified and fewer are employed.
Others: Mismatch between demand and supply at the sectoral and spatial levels, limited mobility between skill and higher education programmes and vocational education and very low coverage of apprenticeship programmes.

Fast-changing job market: The dynamics of the employment market require constant upskilling and reskilling which is not effectively available for all.
Lack of quality skilling: Lack of quality faculty, curriculum, lack of application-oriented learning methods etc. impact the quality of skilling.
- This also limits the opportunities of international employment.
Governance issues: Multiplicity of assessment and certification leading to inconsistent outcomes and confusion among employers, and lack of assured wage premium for skilled workers.
Lack of Quality Infrastructure: Inadequate maintenance and lack of resources in skilling institutions.
Gender inequality: Low participation of women compared to men in skilling as well as labour force.