The Indian Ministry of Railways has lately introduced a new scheme, the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY), as part of the larger Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). This scheme, aimed at the development of skills and training among Indian youth, emphasizes employment opportunities in railway-related fields.
About the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
RKVY is essentially a skill improvement program. It allows Indian youth to receive training in areas that directly relate to jobs in the Railways sector. The training focuses on four specific trades – Electrician, Welder, Machinist, and Fitter. However, regional railways and production units may add more trades based on local requirements and needs assessments. All training will be given under the Apprentice Act of 1961.
Program Objectives and Eligibility
The RKVY aims to impart practical skills to young people in various trades, with the aim of enhancing quality. Over the next three years, the program intends to train 50,000 candidates. To be eligible, applicants must have completed tenth grade and be between 18-35 years of age. The scheme does not guarantee employment in the Railways after training.
Significance of the Program
RKVY is not just about improving job prospects for young people. It also seeks to uplift the skill sets of those who are self-employed or working with contractors. This will be achieved through reskilling and up-skilling initiatives.
About the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
The PMKVY was launched in 2015 as a premier initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The goal of this program is to mobilize young people to undertake skill training to increase productivity and meet the country’s needs.
Performance and Future Plans for PMKVY
Following the success of PMKVY 1.0, where over 19 lakh students benefitted compared to the target of 24 lakh individuals, the government relaunched the scheme as PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020) with a substantially larger budget. The plan aimed to train 10 million youths by 2020. The latest iteration, PMKVY 3.0, launched in 2021, has plans to skill eight lakh candidates by the end of 2021 at a cost of Rs. 948.90 crore.
Key Components of PMKVY
PMKVY includes Short Term Training for school or college dropouts or those unemployed, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) that assesses and certifies an individual’s skills or prior learning experiences, Special Projects for training in special areas or premises of government bodies and corporates, and Training Partners (TPs) responsible for organizing Kaushal and Rozgar Melas for providing placement assistance to certified candidates.
Other Related Initiatives
In addition to RKVY and PMKVY, there are other initiatives from the Indian government to promote skill development, including the National Career Service Project, Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP), Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE), Kaushalacharya Awards, Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS), Atma Nirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM), Skill Certification, and YuWaah Youth Skilling Initiative.