Irregularities in the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a flagship training programme launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in 2015. Despite its goals of skill development, the scheme has faced significant irregularities.

Key Irregularities

• Absentee students and fake documentation.
• Non-existent Training Centres (TCs) and Training Partners (TPs).

Scheme Implementation and Challenges

Under the upgraded PMKVY 4.0, initiated in 2022, over 1.64 crore youth have been trained. However, the scheme has been marred by issues:

• Complaints related to inflated bills and absentee students.
• 178 TPs and TCs have been blacklisted due to non-compliance.
• Legal actions and recovery of payments have been initiated against defaulters.

State-wise Blacklisting

• Uttar Pradesh: 59 TPs and TCs blacklisted.
• Delhi: 25 TPs and TCs blacklisted.
• Madhya Pradesh: 24 TPs and TCs blacklisted.
• Rajasthan: 20 TPs and TCs blacklisted.
• Other states like Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have one TP and TC blacklisted each.

Government Actions and Reactions

The Ministry, along with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), has taken steps to address the issues:

• Continuous monitoring and inspection reports have been used to identify defaulters.
• Legal actions, including FIRs, financial recovery, and blacklisting, have been implemented.

NSDC's Controversies

The NSDC has been involved in controversies, including the ouster of CEO Ved Mani Tewari and a police complaint against officials for mismanagement.