The Union Cabinet has approved continuation and restructuring of the “Skill India Programme” till 2026 with an outlay of INR 8,800 Cr.
“This approval underscores the government’s commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce by integrating demand-driven, technology-enabled, and industry-aligned training across the country,” said an official statement.
The outlay will cover the period between 2022-23 and 2025-26. An official press statement also added that Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0), the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), and the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme will now be combined under the Skill India Programme.
The government also said that the three initiatives will aim to provide structured skill development, on-the-job training, and community-based learning for both urban and rural populations. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said that more than 2.27 Cr individuals have benefited from the schemes so far.
It is pertinent to note that PMKVY 4.0 provides 400+ short-term reskilling and upskilling courses to beneficiaries in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, green hydrogen, drone technology, among others. Under this, the government has established “skill hubs” at academic institutions, including IITs, NITs, Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.
An official statement added that a national pool of one1 Lakh assessors and trainers is being developed under PMKVY 4.0 to ensure standardisation and expertise across training centers.
Meanwhile, PM-NAPS offers apprenticeship to ensure individuals gain industry-specific skills through “real-world exposure”. Under the scheme, the Centre provides stipends up to INR 1,500 per month per apprentice via direct benefit transfer (DBT) during the training period.
The JSS scheme is a community-centric skilling initiative to offer vocational training for women, rural youth, and economically disadvantaged groups.
“With the continuation of the Skill India Programme, the government seeks to reinforce its commitment to lifelong learning, recognizing the importance of continuous upskilling and reskilling in today’s rapidly changing employment landscape. The initiative will directly contribute to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, ensuring that workforce development policies remain aligned with economic and industrial trends,” read the official statement.
This comes barely days after the union government informed the Parliament that 19,774 individuals have so far been trained in various AI courses under PMKVY 4.0. This also follows finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, earlier this month in her Budget 2025-26 speech, proposing the establishment of five new centres of excellence (CoEs) for skilling.
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