National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme-2 (NAPS-2)
Why in News?
The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme-2 (NAPS-2) is in the news following an official performance update and evaluation report released by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Overview
- Evolution: Originally launched as NAPS in August 2016, the overhauled version NAPS-2 has been implemented nationwide since FY 2022–23.
- Nodal Ministry: Regulated and monitored 100% as a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
- Primary Objective: To promote skill development and on-the-job experiential training while enhancing the overall ease of doing business for corporate employers.
Financial Support & Delivery
- Stipend Sharing: The Government of India provides partial stipend support, covering 25% of the prescribed stipend up to a maximum of ₹1,500 per month per apprentice.
- Employer Contribution: Participating corporate establishments pay the remaining 75% directly to the apprentice.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): To eliminate leakages and assure transparency, the government's financial share is credited directly to the apprentice’s bank account via DBT.
- Exclusions: Central/State Government departments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and Public Sector Banks are not eligible to claim the government stipend subsidy.
Key Structural Features
- Governance Framework: Governed strictly under the regulatory guidelines of the Apprentices Act, 1961.
- Sectors Covered: Training spans over 49 sectors partitioned into Designated Trades and Optional Trades.
- Sunrise Sector Focus: Focuses heavily on high-growth industries like semiconductors, drones, biotechnology, renewable energy, and IT.
- MSME Mobilisation: Utilises empanelled Third-Party Aggregators (TPAs) to simplify onboarding for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which make up over 38,000 of the registered employers.
- NEP 2020 Alignment: Integrates academic coursework with corporate training via the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP) managed alongside UGC and AICTE.
- Monthly Recruitment Drives: Organises the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela (PMNAM) on the second Monday of every month across rotating districts to bridge the student-employer gap.
