Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana

• 16 Apr 2021

Why in News

Recently, alumni meets were organized across the country under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) to commemorate 75 years of Independence.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) announced it on Antyodaya Diwas in 2014.
  • It is a demand-driven placement linked skill training initiative working under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
  • It uses skill training and placement in wage employment as a tool to diversify income and enable sustained upward movement out of poverty.
• Beneficiaries:
  
  • DDU-GKY is uniquely focused on rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families.
• Objective:
  
  • Adding diversity to the incomes of rural poor families
  • Cater to the career aspirations of rural youth.
• Alumni Meet:
  
  • Alumni meet is an important component of the scheme.
  • The Alumni meets provide healthy ground for experience sharing by the former trainees with their present counterparts on topics like placements, career goals, challenges they faced in finding employment before undertaking the training and the benefits they reaped after.
  • Some of the former trainees are also felicitated at the events for their exemplary performances at their workplaces.
• Coverage:
  
  • The program is currently being implemented in 27 States and 3 Union Territories and has over 2198 Training Centres in 1822 projects, in partnership with 839 Project Implementing Agencies conducting training across 56 sectors, and over 600 job-roles.
• Achievements:
  
  • Since inception of the scheme, a total 10.81 lakh candidates have been trained in 56 sectors and 600 Trades and 6.92 lakh placed.
• Significance:
  
  • DDU-GKY and integrated farming initiatives for rural development across the country are important for greater success in skilling and placing the rural youth.
  • DDU-GKY has played a significant role in the context of Atmanirbhar Bharat through skilling.
  • As a part of the Skill India campaign, it plays an instrumental role in supporting the social and economic programs.
• Some Other Initiatives Related to Skill Development:
  
  • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0:
    
    • It was launched in 2021 in a bid to empower India’s youth with employable skills by making over 300 skill courses available to them.
    • It was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
  • Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM):
    
    • Launched in 2020 (by MSDE), it is a portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities.
  • Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS):
    
    • The scheme is to provide industry apprenticeship opportunities to the general graduates exiting in April 2019 through the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). It was launched by the Ministry of Education.
  • Kaushal Acharya Awards:
    
    • Launched (by MSDE) to recognize the contribution made by skill trainers and to motivate more trainers to join the Skill India Mission.
  • Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan):
    
    • Launched in the year 2016 (by MSDE), it aims at creating an enabling ecosystem for Entrepreneurship development through Entrepreneurship education and training; Advocacy and easy access to entrepreneurship support network and Promoting social enterprises for inclusive growth.

Antyodaya Diwas

• Every year, 25^th September is observed as Antyodaya Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, one of the great thinkers and philosophers of the nationalist movement of the country.
• The Government of India announced it for the first time in 2014 along with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana.
• Antyodaya means "uplifting the poorest of the poor" and the day aims to reach the person in the last mile.

Source:PIB