10 Years of Strategic Skilling
A Decade of Skill India Empowering India’s Workforce: India launched the Skill India Mission on 15th July 2015, aligning with the UN’s World Youth Skills Day. The mission aimed to bridge the skill gap among India’s vast youth population and make them globally employable.
In the past decade, the initiative has trained over 6 crore individuals, covering both traditional sectors and emerging areas like AI, robotics, and green energy.
Mission Objectives
The core goal is to equip youth with job-relevant skills, foster entrepreneurship, and promote apprenticeships. It also ensures that informal skills are recognized under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) with proper certifications.
Inclusivity remains central, focusing on school dropouts, rural youth, women, and marginalized communities.
Key Initiatives Driving Change
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
This flagship program has trained 1.63 crore people in ten years. It covers short-term courses and supports green skilling under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana and Green Hydrogen Mission.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
Targets non-literates and school dropouts with community-based skilling. Over 26 lakh individuals were trained between 2018–2024.
PM National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS)
Offers 25% Direct Benefit Transfer-based stipends to promote hands-on industry training. As of May 2025, over 43.47 lakh apprentices have been engaged.
Rural Skilling Initiatives
RSETIs have trained over 5.67 million rural youth in entrepreneurship, while DDU-GKY provides wage employment under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
PM Vishwakarma Yojana
Launched in 2023, it supports traditional artisans with modern tools, digital payments, and collateral-free credit access.
Modern Tools and Tech for Future Skills
The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) enables centralized monitoring using Aadhaar-based verification. All certifications are aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and are accessible through DigiLocker and NCrF.
Static GK fact: The NSQF is a competency-based framework that organizes qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
Emerging Focus Areas
India’s 2025 theme emphasizes future-ready learning in AI, cybersecurity, and green jobs. The government is encouraging public-private partnerships to bridge the demand-supply gap in the job market.
Static GK Tip: National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), established in 2008, plays a key role in coordinating private-sector skilling under the Skill India umbrella.
Tamil Nadu’s Skilling Push
Tamil Nadu has established Centres of Excellence at NSTIs in Hyderabad and Chennai. These centers offer cutting-edge skilling in robotics, AI, and Industry 4.0 tools.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
A Decade of Skill India Empowering India’s Workforce:
| Topic | Detail |
| Launch Date of Skill India | 15th July 2015 |
| Total Individuals Trained | Over 6 crore |
| Key Schemes | PMKVY, PM-NAPS, JSS, DDU-GKY |
| Apprenticeship Numbers | Over 43.47 lakh (as of May 2025) |
| Rural Youth Trained via RSETIs | Over 5.67 million |
| NSQF Integration | Certification aligned with national standards |
| AI and Green Skills | Focus of 2025 theme |
| SIDH | Platform for Aadhaar-based monitoring |
| DigiLocker | Stores training certificates |
| PM Vishwakarma Yojana | Supports artisans with tools and credit access |
