The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, chaired by senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, on Friday (February 20, 2026) criticised the government for what members described as “lackadaisical” implementation of the Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) scheme, a flagship programme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The panel was examining a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that highlighted significant delays and shortfalls in both financial and physical progress under the scheme. According to the CAG, only 44% of the budgeted provision for SANKALP was disbursed between 2017‑18 and 2023‑24 (as of October 2023), reflecting persistent underutilisation of funds. The audit also flagged weak adherence to implementation guidelines and a sluggish pace of execution across components.
Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in October 2017 with a total outlay of ₹4,455 crore, SANKALP was designed to strengthen short‑term skill training through better institutional frameworks, enhanced industry linkages, and targeted inclusion of marginalised communities. The scheme was slated to be financed through a World Bank loan of ₹3,300 crore, State leverage of ₹660 crore, and industry leverage of ₹495 crore.
