Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is an important government scheme focused on rural development in India. Government schemes are very important for the UPSC exam prelims and mains. In this article, you can read all about the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), its provisions, objectives, features, etc.

Latest Context on DDU-GKY

1. Recently, alumni meets were organized across the country under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) to commemorate 75 years of Independence.
   • Alumni meet is an important component of DDU-GKY. It provides a healthy ground for experience sharing by the former trainees with their present counterparts.
   • The topics discussed include placements, career goals, challenges they faced in finding employment before undertaking the training, and the benefits they reaped after.
   • Also,  former trainees are felicitated for their exemplary performances at their workplaces.

What is DDU-GKY?

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a centrally-sponsored scheme announced in 2014. 

• It is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
• Its two major objectives are:
  • Incorporating diversity to the incomes of rural poor families
  • Catering to the career aspirations of rural youth
• The focus of the scheme is on rural poor youth between the ages of 15 and 35.
• It is a demand-driven skills training program that is placement-linked.
• It supports the social and economic programs of the government such as Digital India, Make in India, Smart Cities, Start-up India and Stand-up India, as part of the Skill India campaign.
• The youth from rural India face several hurdles in their pursuit of a better life in the form of lack of formal education and required skills. The DDU-GKY seeks to bridge this gap by funding training projects that are of global standards with a focus on placement, retention, career progression and placement abroad.
• The scheme is under the Ministry of Rural Development, GOI.
• The scheme can trace its roots to the ‘Special Projects’ component of the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) of 2004. It was revised and repositioned as DDU-GKY in 2014.

DDU-GKY Significance

By 2022, there is a skills gap of 109.73 million in 24 key sectors as identified by the National Policy for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship 2015. Additionally, a FICCI and Ernst & Young study (2013) identified a shortage of more than 47 million skilled workers across the globe by 2020. Considering this and taking advantage of the demographic dividend in India, there is immense potential for India to train its bottom of the pyramid (BoP) youth population and place them in jobs across the world.

• Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana has played a significant role in the context of Atmanirbhar Bharat through skilling.
• DDU-GKY along with integrated farming initiatives for rural development across the country is important for greater success in skilling and placing the rural youth.
• DDU-GKY plays an instrumental role in supporting social and economic programs, as a part of the Skill India campaign.

DDU-GKY Latest Stats

The following table will give the latest available data on the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana as given by the government in the scheme’s official website.

How does DDU-GKY Work?

DDU-GKY funds private education and skill training experts to start advanced, modern and well-equipped training centres.

• Qualified trainers in these training centres will provide job-oriented skills training, train to use computers/tablets, spoken English and other life-skills.
• After completion of the training, the students are offered placement help also.
• Training is completely free for students and they are also provided with free books, uniforms, tablets, and study materials.
• In case of residential training centres, food and accomodation are free of cost. In case of non-residential training centres, to and fro expenses and one meal per day for every completed training day are provided free of cost.

DDU-GKY Eligibility

Rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 are eligible for receiving training under the scheme. There is age relaxation up to 45 years for women, SC/ST and physically disabled people. Candidates should have any of the following:

1. BPL Card
2. BPL PDS Card
3. RSBY Card (Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana)
4. Family member should be a member in a registered SHG in the village
5. Family member is a paid worker under MGNREGA with a minimum of 15 days of work in the last 12 months

Implementation Model

The scheme functions in a three-tier model.

1. On top is the DDU-GKY National Unit at the Rural Development Ministry which acts as the policy-making, technical support and facilitation agency.  
2. Below that is the DDU-GKY State Missions which provide implementation support.
3. At the lowest level are the Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) which execute the programme through skilling and placement projects.

What are Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) in DDU-GKY?

PIAs are the implementing agencies of the scheme and they should satisfy the following necessary conditions and eligibility criteria:

• Registered under Indian Trust Acts or any State Society Registration Act or any State Cooperative Societies or Multi-State Cooperative Acts or the Companies Act 2013 or the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2008 OR Government or a semi-government organization at the State and National Level.
• Positive Net Worth for at least 2 out of the last 3 financial years (Not applicable for NSDC Partners).
• Existence as an operational Legal Entity in India for more than 3 financial years (Not applicable for NSDC Partners).
• Turnover exceeding at least 25% of the proposed project.

Priority will be given in funding to the PIAs offering the following:

• Captive employment – employment within the firm itself
• Foreign placement
• Industry internships – Support for internships with co-funding from industry
• Champion Employers – those PIAs that can assure training and placement of at least 10,000 candidates in two years
• Educational Institution of High Repute – Institutes with a minimum NAAC grading of 3.5 or Community Colleges with UGC/AICTE funding willing to take up DDU-GKY projects

For more government schemes, check the linked article.

Training Requirements

• Training courses offered cover various sectors such as health, retail, hospitality, automotive, construction, gems, leather, plumbing, electrical, jewellery, etc.
• Apart from trade specific skills, training should also be provided for employability, soft skills, English language usage, information technology, etc.
• Also, the training should adhere to the curriculum and norms prescribed by specified national agencies: the National Council for Vocational Training and Sector Skills Councils.

DDU-GKY Salient Features

Some of the important features of the scheme are given below.

• Enable Poor and Marginalized to Access Benefits
• Inclusive Program Design 
• Shifting Emphasis from Training to Career Progression
• Greater Support for Placed Candidates
• Proactive Approach to Build Placement Partnerships
• Enhancing the Capacity of Implementation Partners
• Regional Focus
  • Greater emphasis on projects for poor rural youth in Jammu and Kashmir (HIMAYAT)
  • The North-East region and 27 Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) districts (ROSHINI)
• Standards-led Delivery

Other Government Initiatives for Skill Development

1. ASEEM Portal – Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping – to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities. It was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in 2020 to provide job opportunities to migrant laborers returning from their place of work in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
2. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) – is a Skill Certification Scheme that aims to encourage the youth population of the country to take up training that is Industry- Relevant and to provide secure livelihoods for the individuals.
3. Sankalp and Strive Scheme – is being implemented to satisfy the long-felt need for a national architecture for promoting convergence, regulating skill training, catalyzing industry efforts in vocational training space and ensuring effective governance.
4. National Skill Development Mission – launched for creating convergence across various sectors and different States in terms of activities relating to skill training. The mission would, along with consolidating & coordinating skilling efforts, expedite decision-making across sectors to achieve quality skilling on a large scale.
5. Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) – for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities to the general graduates to enhance the employability of Indian youth by providing ‘on the job work exposure’ and earning of stipend.
6. PM YUVA – scheme is basically a mentorship program to train young authors.

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