The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has highlighted serious implementation gaps in the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the Centre’s flagship skill development programme, in an audit report tabled in Parliament.
The audit, covering the period from 2015 to 2022, points to weaknesses in beneficiary identification, fund disbursal, monitoring of training centres, and outcome assessment, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the scheme.
Key Findings of the CAG Report
Invalid Bank Details: Over 94% of candidate records had unreliable or invalid bank account details, including blank entries and dummy numbers such as “11111111111”.
Pending Payments: Monetary rewards for more than 34 lakh certified candidates remain unpaid even years after training completion.
Low DBT Success: Only 18.44% of candidates received successful Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments under PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0.
Ghost Training Centres: Several centres were found closed despite being shown as operational, with training falsely reported as ongoing.
Duplicate and Fake Records: Identical photographs were reused for multiple beneficiaries across states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.
Weak Employer Linkages: The credibility of so-called “Best-in-Class” employers and placement claims was questioned.
Poor Monitoring: The audit flagged inadequate oversight of training quality, certification standards, and employment outcomes.
About PMKVY
Launched in 2015 under the Skill India Mission, PMKVY is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation. It focuses on:
Short-term skill training
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Certification aligned with NSQF
Placement support
Across three phases, PMKVY had a cumulative outlay of around ₹14,450 crore, targeting over 1.32 crore youth, with approximately 1.1 crore certifications issued.
Government Response
Responding to the audit observations, the government stated that PMKVY has since undergone major reforms, including:
Aadhaar-based e-KYC and face authentication
Geo-tagged attendance and QR-coded certificates
Strengthened inspections through Kaushal Samiksha Kendras
Penalty, recovery, and blacklisting mechanisms for non-compliant training partners
The Ministry said these measures aim to improve transparency, accountability, and beneficiary tracking under future skill development initiatives.
Why It Matters
The findings are significant as PMKVY plays a central role in India’s demographic dividend strategy at a time when youth unemployment remains high. The CAG’s observations underline the need for stronger governance, data integrity, and outcome-based evaluation in large-scale welfare programmes.
