India, March 30 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Under the Government of India's Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres / institutes etc. under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including the state of Tamilnadu. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.
Government of India launched the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) in December 2013 and was rationalized and notified in June, 2023. NSQF is an outcome and competency-based framework which organizes qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills, aptitude, and responsibility levels defined in terms of learning outcomes which the learner must acquire through formal, non-formal or informal learning which may comprise of academics, vocational education, training & skilling and experiential learning including relevant experience and proficiency/ professional levels acquired, subject to assessment. The NSQF is segregated from Level 1 to 8, and each level represents a different level of skills, complexity, knowledge, responsibility and autonomy.
NSQF provides for integrating and creditizing vocational education, training and skill learning in various dimensions of academics, skilling and experiential learning including relevant experience and proficiency/ professional levels acquired, subject to assessment. It establishes academic equivalence between vocational & general education while enabling mobility within & between them and recognize learning through close partnership with industry and employers through internships apprenticeships and on the job training across all sectors.
As on 31.12.2025, a total of 9549 qualifications has been NSQF aligned and approved, out of which 3122 qualifications (including NOS and MC) are active and valid, while 6427 qualifications have been archived so far. Of the 3122 qualifications, 502 are National Occupation Standards (NOS) and 268 are Micro-credentials (MC). These active qualifications also include 678 future qualifications from various domains i.e AI/ML, Big data, IoT, green Energy, Semi-Conductors etc. Around 1.40 crore candidates has been trained in last three years and in current year upto 31.12.2025 in India out of which 7.28 lakh candidates were trained in the state of Tamil Nadu under various schemes of this Ministry.
Skill Gap studies conducted from time to time provide information on the skills needed and the skill gaps in various sectors. Such studies guide the interventions of the Government aimed at preparing the workforce as per the industry needs. Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) have undertaken skill gap studies across sectors including sectors such as Electronics, Logistics, Advance Manufacturing, etc. since 2019, providing demand-supply assessments and manpower requirement projections.
Further, to synergize initiatives of skill development in the country and to fulfil the regional skill requirements, the schemes of MSDE focus on implementation of training interventions with participation of States and Districts through State Skill Development Mission (SSDMs) and District Skill Committees (DSCs). DSCs identify sectors with employment opportunities as well as the associated demand for skilling in the district, and map the available facilities for Skill Training. Skill Development Programmes of the Government are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors.
To align skill development programs with the industrial requirements in different sectors, and thereby improving the employability of the skilled manpower, the following specific steps have been taken by MSDE:
In addition, the National Education Policy 2020 lays emphasis on integration of vocational education programs with mainstream education in all educational institutions in a phased manner. The National Credit Framework (NCrF) has been developed as a comprehensive credit accumulation & transfer framework encompassing elementary, school, higher, and vocational education & training. NCrF integrates creditization of learning in various dimensions i.e. academics, vocational skills and experiential learning including relevant experience and proficiency/ professional levels acquired. The University Grant Commission (UGC) has also mandated that upto 50% of the total credit requirement of an UG/PG program can be fulfilled through skill courses including NSQF aligned qualifications.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
