Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana

An initiative by the Ministry of Rural Development, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, or DDU-GKY is an initiative to train and skill the country’s youth in the rural areas. The scheme is a part of NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) and is estimated to help and enable 55 million youth in the rural areas.

Launched amidst a high unemployment rate, DDU-GKY scheme aims to enable the rural youth to earn a sustainable living and compete in the modern market. To know more about how the Deen Dayal Yojana aims to achieve the goals, how it benefits, and more, read on.

Launched in 2014, the DDU-GKY scheme has two major goals. The first is to ensure that the rural poor families can earn a sustainable living. The second goal is to help the rural poor youth realise their career aspirations.

With the scheme, the government aims to skill and train the rural youth with skills that are in demand. The scheme is also placement-linked, meaning the candidates can get jobs that enable them to earn a wage.

The scheme currently has over 200 PIAs (Project Implementing Agencies) across 250 trades sectors across the country. Trade sectors include health, leather, automotive, retail, gems, jewellery, and more.

The main focus of the Deen Dayal Grameen Kaushalya Yojana is to reduce the unemployment rate. This is achieved by training the rural youth the skills that can help them get jobs and earn a sustainable living. 

Other focus areas of this scheme include:

• Reduce poverty by ensuring employment for the youth with a sustainable wage

• Encourage social mobility, which then increases opportunities for others

• Make the youth in rural areas self-reliant by giving them the necessary training and skills

• Support the social and economic programs that are a part of the Skill India campaign

• Offer training for skills that are at par with global standards to ensure employment of the youth even outside the country

• The age of youth in focus under the scheme is 18-35 years

Although the scheme is available across the country, it is available only to a select group of candidates, who fit the eligibility criteria. DDU-GKY details with respect to the eligibility criteria include the following:

• The youth should be from a rural poor family

• The age should be between 18-35 years

• The youth should own or be mentioned in 

1. BPL cards

2. BPL PDS cards (Antyodaya Anna Yojana in some states)

3. RSBY (Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana) Cards

• The youth should be a family member of paid workers under MGNREGS (min. 15 days of work in 12 months)

• The youth should be a family member of registered SHG 

Note, for women, physically disabled, and youth from SC/ST, the age is relaxed to 45 years instead of 35 years.

Following are the features and benefits of DDU-GKY scheme:

• No registration or training fees borne by the youth enrolled in the scheme

• Make technology learning tools accessible to the youth (free tablets, computer labs, etc)

• Training for skills that are in demand not just on country-level but on a global level

• Offers an inclusive program with mandatory allocation to socially disadvantaged groups

• Proactive approach to PIAs with a mandatory placement of at least 75% trainees

• Support even after placement (migration, alumni network)

• SOPs to ensure that training standard are maintained across all programs

With over 7 Lakh candidates placed and over 1.25 Lakh candidates currently being trained, the impact of this scheme is country-wide. Here is an overview of the impact of the DDU-GKY scheme:

• Mobilises the rural poor youth towards growth through employment

• Offers opportunities to the youth from rural to be self-reliant

• Provides support after placement (migration, alumni network)

• Ensure not just placement but also minimum wage for sustainability

• Impart necessary training, skills, and knowledge for the youth to be employable

To register under this scheme, you will have the following the steps outlined below:

• Enrol with the Gram Panchayat/ Gram Rozgar Sewak

• Choose a trade you want training in

• Locate and contact the nearest training centre for the preferred trade

• Visit the official Kaushal Panjee website

• Click on ‘Candidate Registration’

• Choose the registration type

• Fill in the required details (SECC, personal, program, address)

• Submit the form

Ensure that the information you enter at every stage is accurate, with no errors or inconsistencies. 

By keeping all the documents ready, you can ensure that your registration process takes place smoothly and quickly. To complete your registration, you will need to submit the following documents:

• ID proof

• Age proof

• BPL Card

• MGNREGA Card

• RSBY Card

• SHG identification

• Disability certificate

• ST/SC certificate

The scheme is placement linked, and as such, ensures that the candidates enrolled are adequately placed after completing the training/ program. Given this, the scheme requires the PIAs to place at least 75% of the candidates.

Additionally, candidates are offered a minimum monthly salary of ₹6,000 or the minimum wage of the state where the candidate is placed, whichever is higher. The salary includes the cost of meals, accommodation, and transport.