Geography
Skilling under MGNREGA
- 05 Aug 2019
- 4 min read
The central government is working on an initiative to move 10-12.5 million families within the ambit of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) out of poverty by imparting skills and creating durable assets.
Background
- Under the Livelihoods in Full Employment (LIFE) project of the MGNREGA, started in 2015-16, the government provides training to eligible workers in the age group 15-35 years. However, this is restricted to MGNREGA workers who have completed 100 days’ work.
- In a mid-term review of the initiative, a lot of states complained of slow progress.
- States also complaint for absence of stipends (for loss of wages due to engagement in skilling),
- Candidates ineligibility for skilling due to the age criterion, was also one of the main complaints of the states.
New Initiative Features
- The government is planning to spend Rs 500-1,000 crore every year on this and it will not be limited to those who completed 100 days of work under the MGNREGA.
- As part of the proposed initiative, each year one member of 400,000-500,000 families will get training for 30-45 days.
- Stipends will be provided for compensation of any loss in wages that may arise.
- Training will be provided within the mandated 100 days (of MGNREGA) and conducted under skill-development initiatives such as the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), self-employment programmes run by banks, and the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
- The workers will be attached to Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and trained in grafting, horticulture, growing fruit-bearing crops, etc.
Livelihoods in Full Employment (LIFE) Project
- The Ministry of Rural Development has formulated a project for 'Livelihoods in Full Employment' under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Project LIFE-MGNREGA) in April 2015.
- The project aims to promote self reliance and improving the skill base of the MGNREGA workers, and thereby improving the livelihood of the workers, so that they can move from current status of partial employment to full employment status.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
- The Ministry of Rural Development announced the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) Antyodaya Diwas, on 25th September 2014.
- It is the demand driven placement linked skill training initiative working under 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.
- DDU-GKY is uniquely focused on rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
- KVK, is an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), which aims at assessment of location specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations.
- KVKs have been functioning as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technology supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sector for improving the agricultural economy of the district and are linking the NARS with extension system and farmers.
- The KVK scheme is 100% financed by the Government of India.
- KVKs are sanctioned to Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes, related Government Departments and Non Government Organizations (NGOs) working in Agriculture
- The first KVK was established in 1974 at Puducherry.
