Why in News?
The PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana is currently in the news following data released in the Lok Sabha in February 2026, which revealed that less than half of the students trained between 2021 and 2024 have been placed. Additionally, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment highlighted new mandatory employment-linked outcomes, requiring training institutes to ensure a minimum 70% placement rate to receive full government funding.
About
- Placement Data: Recent parliamentary disclosures indicated that placement rates for trained beneficiaries remain below 50% for the period 2021–2024.
- Strict Funding Norms: To improve outcomes, the government has mandated that training institutes must provide employment to 70% of trainees or forfeit 30% of the training cost.
- Expansion & Skill India Integration: The scheme has been increasingly integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for registration and monitoring.
- Skill Training for PwDs: Recent inaugurations, such as programs for Persons with Disabilities in Shillong, have expanded the scheme's reach to specialized target groups.
Key Features
- Objective: To enhance the competency levels of socially and economically marginalized sections to make them employable for both wage and self-employment.
- Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Target Groups:
- Scheduled Castes (SCs).
- Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs).
- De-notified Tribes (DNTs).
- Safai Karamcharis, including waste pickers and their dependents.
- Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and Transgenders.
- Eligibility Criteria:
- Age: 18–45 years.
- Income: No limit for SCs, DNTs, or Safai Karamcharis. For OBCs and EWS candidates, family income must be below ₹3 lakh per annum.
- Types of Training:
- Up-skilling/Re-skilling: 35 to 60 hours, focusing on existing artisans or workers.
- Short-Term Training: 300 hours (approx. 3 months), aimed at immediate job roles.
- Long-Term Training: 650 hours or more, providing in-depth specialization.
- Entrepreneurship Development: 90 hours, focused on self-employment ventures.
- Key Benefits:
- Free Training: 100% grants provided by the government.
- Stipends: Monthly stipends (e.g., ₹1,000–₹1,500) for non-residential training.
- Wage Compensation: Provided to those undergoing up-skilling to cover potential income loss during training.
- Assessment: Minimum 70% attendance is mandatory to appear for assessments.
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