Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)

With the ambitious agenda to benchmark wage placement-linked programs upto global standards, the Ministry of Rural Development had launched the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) in the September of 2014. This scheme has been formulated based on 15 years of experience in the implementation of skill training programs. This scheme is a placement linked skill development scheme for the financially-unstable rural youth and is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). This article talks about Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and its various essentials that continue to support the unfortunate in the rural areas of India.

The Scheme

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) has a particular focus on the rural youth of the country and is a critical component of the National Skill Development Policy. It has evolved to cater to the occupational aspirations of the rural youth and to equip them in order to participate in the global job market. The Scheme aims to position India as the skill capital amongst all the other countries and has been designed to benefit the Prime Minister's

Make In India campaign. The skilling program for the rural youth given more focus and priority towards building the capacity of the rural youth and to address the needs of global skill requirements.

Features of the Scheme

DDU-GKY is a poverty alleviation initiative and proposes to make skill acquisition a necessity and aspirational amongst the rural youth. This would help in creating a highly skilled and productive workforce. The following are the salient features of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).

Market-led, placement-linked training programme for the rural youth initiated in a PPP Mode.
Mandatory and assured placement to a minimum of 75% of the trained candidates.
Focus on the rural youth from poor families as well as in the age category of 15 to 35 years who belong to the following:
- MGNREGA worker household;
- if any individual from the household has completed 15 days of work,
- RSBY household,
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana card household,
- BPL PDS card households,
- NRLM-SHG households,
- Households that are covered under the auto-inclusion parameters of SECC 2011.
Social inclusion of the candidates through the mandatory coverage of socially disadvantaged groups; for SC/ ST: 50%, Minorities: 15%, and Women: 33%.
Regional inclusion of candidates has been enabled through:
- A special sub-scheme for the youth of Jammu & Kashmir known as Himayat.
- A unique initiative for the rural youth of the low-income families in 27 most-affected left-wing Extremist (LWE) districts across the 9 States known as Roshini.
A minimum salary of INR 6,000 per month post a three-month training course.
Career progression support to the training partners.
The primacy is given to Training Partners who would be able to train and support overseas placement and captive placements in the allocation of skill projects.
Promotes the Make in India campaign through Industry Internships supported with the help of joint partnerships between Industry and DDU-GKY.
Rural India Skills Emblem or RISE standard for rating the rural skilled workforce for blue and rust collar jobs.

Eligibility

There are no specific eligibilities to join the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). Any individual

between 15 and 35 years of age, and has the commitment and discipline to work hard and change their life are welcomed to apply for the programme.
with a background of schooling would be considered a plus point, although not a necessity.
who is unemployed or is working as labour in the fields are encouraged to participate in the programme.
earning a daily wage through odd jobs.
who belongs to a family where at least one person has worked for a minimum of 15 days in the MGNREGA scheme.
who belongs to a family where at least one individual belongs to a Self-Help Group (SHG).
who is older than 35 years of age.

Candidates are required to be willing to step forward and work hard every day to change their lives. They would be required to attend classes every day and complete all their tasks and assignments without fail. The programme is specifically geared towards the diversification of incomes of disadvantaged groups which includes the following individuals:

Women,
Individuals who belong to particular vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs),
Individuals with disabilities (PWDs),
Transgenders and other special groups (rehabilitated bonded labour, victims of human trafficking, manual scavengers, HIV positive individuals amongst others).

Funding

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a centrally sponsored scheme and following the funding pattern as shown below.

For every State excluding the North-East States, 75% of the programme's fund would be given by the Central Government while the remaining 25% would be funded by the respective State Governments.
For the North-East States, the Central Government would fund 90% of the programme and the rest 10% would be financed by the State Government.

Funding of the DDU-GKY Projects: The DDU-GKY offers funding support for the placement linked skilling projects starting from INR 25,696 per individual to over INR 1 Lakh, depending on the duration of the project and on the basis is the project is residential or not. The DDU-GKY finances projects of different duration which ranges from 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months. The funding components compromise of support for training costs, boarding and lodging for residential programmes, transportation costs, post-placement support costs, career progression and retention support costs.

Application Procedure

Individuals who require the help of employment and wishes to join the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) may follow either of the procedures given below.

Procedure 1: Get enrolled with the respective Gram Panchayat or Gram Rozgar Sewak, who in turn would recommend the closest Training Centre or its mobilisation staff to meet the applicant and offer them counselling and guidance. Procedure 2: The applicant has to find the nearest training centre and get in touch with them directly. Procedure 3: The applicant has to find a particular trade that they want to learn and the contact information of the training centre that would offer training for that specific trade. Procedure 4: The applicant would be required to fill the Application Form on the Official Site of the programme and upload a passport size photograph of themselves along with the Form. Whichever way the applicant chooses, the concerned authorities will reach out to them, visit them in their homes, talk to them, their parents, friends and others. They will then take the applicant to the nearest training centre and assist them till the time they enrol themselves.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DDU.

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is a placement-linked skill development scheme aimed at providing vocational training and employment opportunities for financially-unstable rural youth in India. It is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and aims to create a highly skilled and productive workforce.

Individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 who are unemployed, working as laborers, earning daily wages through odd jobs, or belong to families enrolled in government schemes like MGNREGA, RSBY, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, or Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are eligible for the DDU-GKY program. Special focus is given to women, individuals with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups.

Some of the key features of the DDU-GKY scheme include market-led, placement-linked training programs, mandatory placement of at least 75% of trained candidates, social inclusion targets for marginalized groups, regional initiatives like Himayat and Roshini, a minimum salary of INR 6,000 per month, career progression support, and the RISE standard for rating skilled rural workforce.

The DDU-GKY is a centrally sponsored scheme. For states excluding the North-East, the Central Government funds 75% of the program, and the respective State Governments fund the remaining 25%. For the North-East states, the funding pattern is 90% from the Central Government and 10% from the State Government.

The DDU-GKY offers funding support for placement-linked skilling projects ranging from INR 25,696 per individual to over INR 1 Lakh, depending on the duration of the project (3, 6, 9, or 12 months) and whether it is residential or non-residential. The funding components include training costs, boarding and lodging, transportation, post-placement support, and career progression and retention support.

Individuals can apply for the DDU-GKY program through their respective Gram Panchayat or Gram Rozgar Sewak, by contacting the nearest training center directly, or by filling out an application form on the official website of the program. The concerned authorities will then guide the applicant through the enrollment process.

The DDU-GKY aims to position India as a global skill capital and support the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' campaign by promoting industry internships and joint partnerships between industries and the DDU-GKY program. This helps in developing a skilled workforce aligned with the requirements of the industrial sector.

The Rural India Skills Emblem (RISE) standard is a rating system introduced under the DDU-GKY scheme to assess and certify the skilled rural workforce for blue-collar and rust-collar jobs. It aims to benchmark the quality of the skilled workforce trained under the program.

Himayat is a special sub-scheme under the DDU-GKY aimed at providing skill training and employment opportunities for the rural youth in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a unique initiative designed to address the specific needs and challenges faced by the youth in that region.

Roshini is a unique initiative under the DDU-GKY scheme targeted at providing skill training and employment opportunities for the rural youth of low-income families in 27 most-affected Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) districts across nine states in India. It aims to address the specific challenges faced by youth in these regions.