New Delhi, 25 September (H.S.):

Skill training for around 70,000 rural youth across 24 states and Union Territories is set to begin from October 2026 under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0. Preparations are underway to launch 2,015 training batches in these states and Union Territories. The Central Government has asked states and Union Territories to expedite the allocation of targets so that the training batches can commence within the prescribed timeline.

According to the Ministry of Rural Development, training targets for more than 1,200 projects have already been allocated to Project Implementing Agencies in 24 states and Union Territories through the DDU-GKY 2.0 portal. Other states are also in the final stages of the target-allocation process.

DDU-GKY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that provides employment-oriented skill training to poor rural youth. The training duration under the scheme ranges from three to 12 months. For the two-year period from 2026 to 2028, more than nine lakh training targets have been allocated to all 31 participating states and Union Territories.

Under the scheme, states and Union Territories are required to mobilise rural youth and conduct demand-driven, employment-oriented skill training through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The training courses will be aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to prepare beneficiaries for sustainable employment.

The Ministry said this is a crucial phase for states and Union Territories to accelerate the implementation of the scheme on the ground. They have been directed to allocate targets to Project Implementing Agencies and commence training batches according to the prescribed timelines. States and Union Territories have been asked to ensure that targets are allocated to Project Implementing Agencies by October 31, 2026.

To expedite the process of launching training batches, the Ministry of Rural Development is also conducting phased review meetings with states and Union Territories.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar