The PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), launched in July 2015 with the objective of enabling a large number of youths to take up industry-relevant skill training. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, pulled up the government over its flagship skilling programme, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Citing the audit report tabled by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the panel said the scheme disproportionately focused on skilling for jobs with low demand, such as retail.The PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), launched in July 2015 with the objective of enabling a large number of youths to take up industry-relevant skill training. Between 2015 and 2022, three phases of the PMKVY were rolled out with an outlay of around ₹14,450 crore. Of this, ₹10,194 crore was released, of which ₹9,261 crore was utilised. Against a total target of 1.32 crore candidates, 1.10 crore were certified.Citing the findings of the report, panel members noted during the deliberations that there was a mismatch between training and demand. They said the skilling efforts were heavily focused on sectors with low demand, such as apparel, electronics, and retail, which together accounted for 40% of trainees. In contrast, sectors such as food processing, which require more trained personnel, accounted for only 0.48% of trainees. Similarly, only 3.8% of trainees were skilled for the tourism sector.Lack of planningPanel members from both the Opposition and the ruling BJP questioned the lack of planning, despite the programme being in operation since 2015. According to sources, many members said the government did not seem to have learnt from the scheme’s shortcomings. It was also pointed out that only 41% of trainees were placed. The programme has also been hit by repeated instances of fraudulent appointment letters.The CAG report cited multiple examples. In one instance, Neelima Moving Pictures was awarded skill certifications to 33,493 participants for 21 job roles across eight States between January and November 2020. However, the company was found to be non-existent. The audit report noted that no responsibility had been fixed for such fraudulent claims.Defending the scheme and its implementation, the government blamed State governments, which, it said, were the implementing agencies. In his concluding remarks, PAC chairperson Mr. Venugopal said unemployment remained the biggest threat facing the country. He said unemployed youth were hitting the streets, and the scheme, which was meant to address their needs, had failed to achieve its targets. This, he added, was also contributing to forced migration. He cited the example of Kerala, where there had been a large exodus of youth from the State and the country, leaving behind elderly parents. Published - June 04, 2026 09:01 pm IST
