₹309.5 crore spent on PM-DAKSH so far; 96,162 secured employment

The Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) scheme was launched as a Central Sector Scheme in the year 2020-21. Under this scheme, skill training is provided to promote self-employment and wage-employment for the socio-economic upliftment of Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), and sanitation workers including waste pickers.

The scheme is implemented by three corporations under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE)—National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC), and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC). DoSJE provides funding to these corporations, and the corporations pay the training costs to empanelled institutions under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) as per guidelines and work orders.

Upon completion of training, institutions are required to provide wage-employment and/or self-employment to at least 70% of the trainees. Failure to do so results in the forfeiture of the third installment—an amount equivalent to 30% of the training cost. It is also mandatory for training institutions to collaborate with relevant industries to create employment opportunities. All three corporations provide guidance, loan facilities, and assistance to eligible youth from the target groups to set up projects.

Between the years 2020-21 and 2023-24, a total of ₹276.47 crore was allocated for PM-DAKSH, while the actual expenditure incurred so far is ₹309.5 crore. During 2020-21 to 2023-24, 1,87,305 candidates received training under the scheme and 96,162 candidates secured employment.

An evaluation study of the scheme found its relevance and learning effectiveness to be strong. More than 90% of the beneficiaries considered the training to be well-aligned with career goals, local labor market requirements, and desired training outcomes. Non-material benefits, such as improvements in confidence, self-respect, and social recognition, were particularly noted among women and marginalized groups. Most beneficiaries continue to utilize their skills, expect long-term income growth, and believe they can maintain improvements independently.

It has been decided to merge PM-DAKSH with MSDE's PMKVY scheme from the year 2024-25. PM-DAKSH was a supplementary scheme, and all job roles for skill training were also covered under PMKVY and sourced from the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) portal. To avoid duplication, PM-DAKSH has been subsumed under PMKVY.