Under Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing various schemes for skill development of youth belonging to minority communities on pan India basis namely “Seekho aur Kamao”- a placement linked Skill Development scheme for minorities, Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development (USTTAD) for preservation of traditional crafts/arts and “Nai Manzil” to integrate education with skills for economic empowerment of minority communities. As per the available information, budget of Rs. 420 crores has been allocated to the Ministry for the above schemes.

The Government is implementing more than 40 skill development schemes/programmes across 20 Central Ministries/Departments, for providing a variety of skill development training programmes to the prospective youth of the country including North Eastern region.  The major schemes are Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Capacity Building scheme for North Eastern Region (NER) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2016-20). As per the available information, under the above mentioned schemes a total of 407945 candidates have been trained in last three years and current year in North East region, out of which 243026 candidates belong to Assam.

Directorate General of Training, MSDE in 2011 has formulated the scheme Enhancing Skill Development Infrastructure in NE States with an objective to enhance the existing infrastructure of skill development in North Eastern States including Assam. The scheme has been revised with enhanced coverage and cost of Rs.417.93 crore in September 2018 and will be continued till 31st March, 2020. The scheme inter-alia envisages funding for establishment of 34 new Industrial Training Institutes along with upgradation of 22 existing Government ITIs by introducing of three new trades per ITI and supplementing infrastructure deficiencies in 28 ITIs by constructing new hostel, boundary wall and supplementing old and obsolete tools and equipment. An amount of      Rs. 180.84 crores has been released to States covered under the scheme for the purpose.

PMKVY 2016-20 scheme also provides additional incentives for participation of youth in training from NE region. For incentivising the youth, there is a provision of monthly travel allowance and post placement support for candidates of NE States. Also, Training Centres (TCs) are paid 10% additional cost for training in the NE States. Further, the provision has been made for allowing residential training for maximum of 50% of the candidates in NE region alongwith 20% residential training in other parts of India outside NE region.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri R.K. Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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SK/TFK