The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) has trained 18.38 lakh rural youth but placed 11.94 lakh, with the government acknowledging an overall placement ratio of around 65 per cent against the scheme’s 70 per cent target, according to a parliamentary panel report.
The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, has flagged the placement gap as well as inadequate post-placement salaries, saying these were contributing to high dropout rates and distress migration.
“The Committee are concerned to note the significant gap in placements under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) where a large number of trained rural candidates remain without employment outcomes alongside inadequate average post-placement salaries that contribute to high dropout rates and distress migration,” the report said.
The scheme aims to provide regular monthly wages at or above minimum wages to rural poor youth and has a minimum placement requirement of 70 per cent of those trained, including at least 50 per cent in wage employment. It also requires a minimum of six months of placement and 12 months of tracking.
The ministry, responding to a question on the non-placement of around six lakh candidates, said, “The overall country’s 65 per cent current placement ratio is a fact. But it varies statewise.”
The Committee said the focus should be on what happens to beneficiaries after they get jobs.
It recommended “near 100 percent placement tracking as far as possible” through mandatory industry linkages, localised placement drives and regular post-training follow-ups. It also sought enhanced migration assistance, retention monitoring and skill upgradation.
“The Committee are of the view that Performance of Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) should also be assessed on the basis of sustained employment and retention of beneficiaries in addition to initial placements to improve long-term livelihood outcomes,” it said.
An independent evaluation cited in the report, covering 5,000 trainees across 10 states and 30 districts between April 2016 and December 2023, found an average placement rate exceeding 65 per cent. It said 86.73 per cent of placements were aligned with the trainees’ trades, while average salary growth was 30.79 per cent and average monthly salary was around ₹16,500.
The report also records that the scheme has 8.73 lakh female candidates among those placed, against 9.64 lakh male candidates. It has a mandatory target of 33 per cent women among those trained.
Despite this, the Committee said women’s participation in DDU-GKY and RSETI training “remains relatively low” despite significant mobilisation of women into self-help groups under DAY-NRLM.
It identified “safety, childcare support and suitable trade options” as gender-specific barriers and recommended women-only batches, mobile training units and creche facilities at training centres, besides incentives for training and placement of women.
The Committee also flagged the need to align rural skilling with emerging livelihood challenges, saying there was increasing vulnerability of rural livelihoods to climate change and “limited integration of green skills and climate-resilient practices in current skilling programmes”.
It recommended incorporating climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, water conservation and sustainable livestock management into DDU-GKY and related programmes, with training for green jobs such as solar technicians, organic farming and waste management.
The government introduced revised DDU-GKY 2.0 guidelines from April 1, 2025, increasing the minimum placement period from three to six months and shifting funding to batches based on achievement of milestones. The revised framework also allows self-employment and gig employment, while retaining the 70 per cent overall placement requirement.
