The Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana (PM-DAKSH) is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It aims to improve employability, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods among Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis, including waste pickers. The scheme provides skill training through NSQF-compliant courses and links training with labour market demand.
Scheme Objectives
- PM-DAKSH focuses on skill development for target groups that face social and economic disadvantage.
- It supports wage employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship.
- The scheme also seeks to strengthen long-term livelihood security through market-relevant training.
Training Design and Selection
- Training programmes are selected on the basis of proposals from empanelled institutes.
- Course choice depends on market demand, viable batch size, geographical conditions and sector-specific skill needs.
- The training is aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework to improve standardisation and recognition.
Employment-Linked Conditions
- Training institutes must ensure wage employment or self-employment for at least 70 per cent of trained candidates after short-term courses.
- If this condition is not met, the third instalment of 30 per cent of the training cost is forfeited.
- Institutes are also required to maintain industry linkages for placement and self-employment support.
Financial Support and Impact
- The National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation provide loans and assistance to eligible youth.
- This support covers project preparation, training and financial assistance after vocational courses.
- An evaluation study found the scheme highly relevant, with over 90 per cent of beneficiaries reporting better career alignment, stronger learning outcomes and improved confidence.