Skill India Mission: Objectives, Features, Benefits & More | UPSC Notes

Skill India Mission is a flagship initiative of the Government of India. It was launched in 2015 to impart market-relevant skills to the youth of India. This was launched in accordance with World Youth Skills Day, declared for the first time on 15 July 2015. The scheme was launched with the vision of making India self-reliant. It aims to create an empowered workforce by providing adequate training in market-relevant skills to over 40 crore youth by 2022. The initiative aimed to develop industrial and entrepreneurial skills among Indians through training programmes, bridging the gap between the industry demands and the skill requirements.

In this article on the Skill India Mission UPSC, we shall discuss in detail the Skill India Mission that is important for the UPSC IAS Exam, its necessity, its objectives, and some of the main features of the scheme.

What is Skill India Mission?

The Skill India Mission, launched by the Government of India in 2015, is a comprehensive initiative aimed at skilling the Indian workforce and empowering them with the necessary skills and knowledge to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial capabilities. This mission is a part of the larger "Make in India" program. This seeks to transform India into a global manufacturing hub by fostering the development of a skilled and productive workforce. The Skill India Mission recognizes the critical role that skill development plays in the country's economic growth and social development, and it aims to address the skill gap that exists in various sectors of the Indian economy.

Objectives of Skill India Mission

The primary objectives of Skill India Mission are:

• To create a skilled and productive workforce that can contribute to the growth and development of the Indian economy.
• To provide vocational training and certification to the youth, enabling them to secure employment or become self-employed.
• To promote entrepreneurship and support the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by equipping individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge.
• To enhance the employability of the Indian workforce and make them more competitive in the global job market.
• To bridge the skill gap that exists in various industries and sectors, thereby improving the productivity and efficiency of the Indian workforce.

Check out the article on Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

Major Components of Skill India Mission

Here are the major components of the Skill India Mission:

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): PMKVY is the flagship skill development scheme under Skill India. It focuses on providing short-term training to school dropouts and unemployed individuals. The scheme covers various sectors. It imparts training in areas such as soft skills, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and more.
• Kaushal and Rozgar Mela: This component promotes active participation from the community. This is to foster transparency and accountability. Kaushal and Rozgar Melas are job fairs organized at local levels.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): RPL aims to recognize and certify the skills of individuals who have prior experience in a particular field. It provides a pathway to access further training to fill knowledge gaps.
• Special Projects: The mission accommodates special projects that deviate from the standard framework. These projects focus on specific sectors. They cater to specialized skill requirements. 
• Monitoring Guidelines: To ensure the quality of training imparted, monitoring guidelines are put in place. These guidelines ensure that the designated training centers deliver effective skill development programs.
• Placement Guidelines: Skill India emphasizes placing the skilled workforce in the right fields as per market demands. These are followed to ensure that individuals are guided into suitable employment opportunities.

Check out the article on the National Skill Development Mission.

Features of the Skill India Mission

The Skill India Mission is characterized by several key features:

• Establishment of a nationwide network of skill development centers and training institutes.
• Collaboration with industry partners to develop industry-specific skill training programs.
• Emphasis on the use of digital technologies and online learning platforms to enhance the reach and accessibility of skill development initiatives.
• Provision of financial assistance and incentives to encourage the participation of individuals and enterprises in skill development activities.
• Focus on the development of soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving, in addition to technical skills.
• Promotion of apprenticeship and internship programs to provide hands-on training and practical experience to the youth.

Read about Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana here!

Necessity of the Skill India Initiative

India’s 54% of the population is below 25 years of age. With a high working-age population, the development of skilled and educated manpower will play a major role in enhancing the country’s economy.

• More than 50% of the population depends on agriculture for livelihood, though the returns are very minimal. Therefore, the younger generation is shifting towards the secondary and tertiary sectors for employment. Hence, the need to improve the skills of youth to make them employable in these sectors arises.
• According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), India is expected to face a shortage of around 29 million skilled personnel by 2030. Following this, it has been predicted that if India does not take timely actions like investing in new technologies or building industry-demanding skills, the skill deficit could cost the country around 1.97 trillion USD. Thus, through the Skill India Mission, the government aims to develop practical skills required by the industry to improve the employment rate.
• According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate fell to 6.5% in January 2021 from 9.1% in December 2020, whereas the employment rate rose to 37.9% in January 2021 from 36.9% in December 2020.

Read about Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana now.

Sub Schemes Under the Skill India Mission

To attain the objectives of the Skill India initiative, the government has introduced many schemes, ensuring its implementation all across the country.

Source: PIB India

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implemented this scheme, enabling the Indian youth to take up skill training linked to a specific industry. This would enable them to lead a better livelihood. The scheme provides monetary rewards for those who complete the training program.

Skill councils like the Agriculture Sector Skill Council and the Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI) that are sector-specific are established under PMKVY. The components of the PMKVY are:

• Short-term training
• Recognition of Prior Learning(RPL)
• Kaushal and Rozgar Mela
• Placement Assistance
• Continuous Monitoring
• Standardized Branding and Communication

Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (PM YUVA Yojana)

This scheme focuses on creating an enabling environment through entrepreneurship education and training and, thus, provides easy access to the entrepreneur network.

The scheme is applicable to ten Indian states (including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya and Maharashtra) and two union territories (Delhi and Puducherry).

Skill Loan Scheme

This scheme was launched with the intent of supporting the youth willing to take up training programs within the country. It replaced the earlier Indian Banks Association (IBA) Model Loan Scheme for Vocational Education and Training.

An Indian citizen taking admission to a course offered by the educational and training institutes recognized as a part of this scheme can avail loans to pay for the courses.

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)

This scheme provides vocational training to that part of the population that is underprivileged (scheduled castes/scheduled tribes/minorities), with minimum infrastructure and resources.

Under the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, around 6.68 lakh candidates have been trained between FY19 and FY21 (until February 23, 2021).

Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP Scheme)

The SANKALP scheme, launched in January 2018, is a program funded by the World Bank and is managed under the Ministry of Skill Development.

The overall cost of this project stands at 675 million USD, including the 500 million USD assistance from the World Bank that is going to be implemented in two parts over six years, until March 2023.

UDAAN

This is a special industry initiative that has been designed specifically for Jammu & Kashmir. The UDAAN scheme acts as a bridge between the corporate sector and the Home Ministry, offering skill training to the youth of J&K.

Graduates, Undergraduates, and holders of Diplomas are eligible to participate in this scheme. This scheme works with the objective of providing the best access to Corporate India to the unemployed.

Check out this article on Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana here!

List of Skill India Courses

These courses are categorized into five main categories. Here is a list of the Skill India courses:

• Management and Development Programmes: Examples include financial statement analysis, modern office practice, marketing for managers, and more.
• Training of Trainers: It covers topics such as accreditation programs for trainers, technology infusion in training, and more.
• Entrepreneurship Development Programmes: These courses aim to promote entrepreneurship. They provide training in areas such as women empowerment, credit risk and recovery schemes, and entrepreneurship development for women.
• Skill Development Programmes: These courses cover a wide range of skill development areas. It includes dairy-based entrepreneurship, carpentry, electroplating, fashion designing, and more. 
• Other Skills: This category includes courses that promote micro-enterprises, cluster development, and lending strategies for MSMEs. It also includes other specialized skills that contribute to economic growth.

Check out the article on the Green Skill Development Program.

Achievements of the Skill India Mission

Some of the major achievements of the Skill India Mission include the following:

• Over 2.5 crore people have received skill training since 2009.
• Over 1.37 crore candidates have been trained, and over 1.1 crore candidates have been certified under PMKVY.
• PMKVY 4.0 is currently running in the country.
• Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas (PMNAM) is being organized to provide local youths with diverse apprenticeship training opportunities.
• 116 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have been approved to offer courses on operating drones.
• 100% boarding and lodging facilities were provided to candidates from the Northeastern states and Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas to promote participation in short-term training programs.
• The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has been working with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to enable the deployment of skilled Indian workers abroad. MoUs/Agreements have been signed with more than 11 countries in this regard.
• India achieved the 11th position in the WorldSkills Competition 2022, an improvement from its 13th position in 2019.
• The MSDE has implemented specialized skill development initiatives in collaboration with the Armed Forces.

Check out this article on the KUSUM Scheme.

Challenges of Skill India Mission

While the Skill India Mission has been lauded for its ambitious goals and initiatives, it has also faced some criticism and challenges:

• Lack of coordination and integration among the various skill development programs and initiatives.
• Inadequate focus on the quality and relevance of the training programs, leading to concerns about the employability of the trained individuals.
• Limited participation of the private sector in the skill development ecosystem, with a heavy reliance on the government for funding and implementation.
• Uneven distribution of resources and skill development opportunities across different regions and socio-economic groups in the country.
• Difficulty in tracking the long-term impact and outcomes of the skill development initiatives, making it challenging to measure the overall effectiveness of the Skill India Mission.

We hope all your doubts regarding the Skill India Mission have been addressed after going through this article. Testbook provides comprehensive notes for various competitive examinations. Master your UPSC preparation with the Testbook App!

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