India is a country with a major population of working-age youth. To ensure the progress of the country, the government felt the need to tap into the skill set of this population and utilise it. This population accounts for 65% of the youth of the country and holds immense potential. The Skill India initiative was set in motion by the Government of India and is led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. 

The Skill India initiative is the first of its kind since independence and aims at bridging the gap between demand and supply of the workforce. It also aims at the implementation of common norms across all skill development programs so as to bring about standardisation and alignment to a common object. To achieve the vision of Skill India, the Government of India set up the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) which focuses on enhancing employability of the youth through skill development.

Objective of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

• Co-ordination of all the skill development efforts across the country.
• Bridging the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower.
• Creating the vocational and technical framework.
• Upgrading existing skills.
• Developing new skills and creative thinking not only for existing jobs but jobs that will be created.

Functional Arms of the MSDE

Directorate General of Training (DGT) 
The DGT is the main arm of the ministry and is the apex organisation for development and co-ordination of long term vocational training. It functions through a network of 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), 33 National Skills Training Institutes (NSTIs)/ National Skills Training Institutes for Women (NSTI-W) and other central institutes. 
 

Directorate of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (DJSS) 
This subordinate office of MSDE is assigned the responsibility of monitoring and supervision of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme through the network of JSS NGO’s. 
 

National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) 
The NSDA is an autonomous organisation under the MSDE registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as a society. It holds the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and the associated quality assurance mechanisms for synergising skill initiatives in the country. 
 

National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) 
The NCVET acts as an overall skills regulator and subsumes the existing skill regulatory bodies of the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). The function of NCVET is to modulate the functioning of entities involved in vocational education and training and establish the minimum functioning standards of these entities. 
 

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) 
The NSDC is one of its kind organisations formed as a Public-Private Partnership Company. The primary object of the NSDC is to fuel the skill landscape of India by building a philosophy that is based on the following pillars:

• Create large-quality vocational training institutions
• Fund through grants and equity
• Enable the creation and robustness of support systems required for skill development.

National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) 
The NSDF was set up by the Government in 2009 to collect funds from Government and Non-Government sources to support skill development in the country. The custodian of the Fund is a public trust set up by the Government. The trust meets its objective through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). 
 

Regional Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDE)
RDSDE was formed after thoughtful consideration in December 2018 for each State/UT’s. RDSDE will take over the activities, assets, liabilities and premises of the Regional Directorates of Apprenticeship Trainings (RDAT’s) located all over India. 
 

National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) 
NSTI is the premier institute that is run by the Directorate General of Training (DGT) and was initially set up by the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T), Ministry of Employment and Labour in the year 1963 for imparting training to the instructor of the ITI’s of the country. 
 

National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) 
The NIESBUD is a premier organisation engaged in research, training, consultancy, etc. in order to promote skill development and entrepreneurship. The major initiatives of the organisation are

• Training the Trainers
• Management Development Programme
• Entrepreneurship-cum-skill development programmes
• Entrepreneurship Development Programmes
• Cluster Intervention

Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) 
The IIE was established in Guwahati to undertake research, training and consultancy activities in small and micro enterprises, emphasising on entrepreneurship development in the North Eastern States. 
 

National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI) 
This is an autonomous institute established under the MSDE. The main objective of the institute is to provide well prepared instructional material for the use of trainers and trainees to ensure the use of standardised material in ITIs, short term skill development course and also for establishments and industries implementing the apprenticeship training programme. 
 

The Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI) 
The CSTARI operates through two wings – Research Wing and Training Wing and spread across Crafts Man Training, Craft Instructor Training, Modular Employable Skills & Skill Center of Excellence (CoE). 
 

Sector Skills Council (SSC) 
SSC is set up as industry-led autonomous bodies under the NSDC. These councils create Occupational Standards and Qualification Bodies, supervise Train the Trainer Programs, develop competency framework, assess and certify trainees and manage skill gap studies on the curriculum aligned to National Occupational Standards.

Schemes and Initiatives Under MSDE

There are various schemes and initiatives that are undertaken by the MSDE. They are majorly divided into the following:

• Short Term Training – Schemes and initiatives through NSDC
• Long Term Training – Schemes and initiatives through DGT
• Apprenticeship training
• Entrepreneurship schemes
• Other schemes/initiatives

Short Term Training – Schemes & Initiatives Through NSDC

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
• Rozgar Mela
• Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK)
• Capacity Building Scheme
• Udaan
• School Initiatives and Higher Education
• India International Skill Centres (IISCs)
• Pre Departure Orientation Training (PDOT)

Long Term Training – Schemes & Initiatives through DGT

• Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS)
• Crafts Instructor Training Scheme (CITS)
• Advanced Vocational Training Scheme (AVTS)
• Vocational Training Programme For Women
• Schemes for Upgradation of ITIs
• Flexi MoUs
• STRIVE
• Initiatives in the North East and LWE Regions
• Trade Testing
• Current Initiatives in the DGT Landscape
• Dual System of Training (DST)
• Polytechnics

Apprenticeship Training

• National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)

Entrepreneurship Schemes

• Pradhan Mantri ‘YUVA’ Yojana
• National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA)
• Pilot project on Entrepreneurship

Other Schemes/Initiatives

• Skill Loan Scheme
• Indian Institute of Skills (IISs)
• SANKALP
• Academic Equivalence to Vocational Qualifications
• Aspirational Districts
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Technology Initiatives

MSDE, through its various schemes and initiatives, has brought about structure and organisation to the workforce by not only developing the skills required but also providing employment and opportunity for entrepreneurs to grow. Attempts are also made to make this international and provide across the geographical and international market to the skilled force.