What Happened
- The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship blacklisted 178 Training Partners (TPs) and Training Centres (TCs) under PMKVY 4.0 in October 2025 for being "non-adhering" to scheme norms, with recovery of penalties initiated.
- In December 2025, Skill Minister Jayant Chaudhary informed the Lok Sabha that 41 FIRs had been registered in cases involving "serious irregularities" such as falsification of attendance records.
- Of the 178 blacklisted entities, 19 are run by Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), including those in the media, textile, tourism, and telecom sectors.
- Field investigations revealed empty and abandoned centres, with common issues including disputed inspection findings, de-branding orders, withheld payments, and FIRs.
- Inspectors reported that low attendance and weak capacity-building were common across centres, with trainees seeing limited value in the diplomas received.
Static Topic Bridges
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Launched on July 15, 2015 (World Youth Skills Day), it aims to provide industry-relevant skill training to Indian youth through Short Term Training (STT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) components.
- PMKVY 1.0 (2015-16): Pilot phase, 19.85 lakh candidates trained
- PMKVY 2.0 (2016-2020): Approved by Union Cabinet on July 15, 2016, with a target of skilling 1 crore youth; 1.10 crore candidates were trained/oriented
- PMKVY 3.0 (2021): Launched on January 15, 2021, targeting 8 lakh youth with district-level implementation focus
- PMKVY 4.0 (2022 onwards): Current version operating across 12,840 centres in 38 sectors; 27.08 lakh candidates trained so far
- Courses typically run for 300-600 hours; training is free for candidates
- NSDC acts as the implementing body, channelling funds through Training Partners who operate Training Centres
Connection to this news: The blacklisting of 178 centres out of 12,840 under PMKVY 4.0, while a small fraction numerically, reveals systemic challenges in monitoring, quality assurance, and ground-level implementation of India's flagship skilling initiative.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)
NSDC was established in 2008 as a not-for-profit Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Section 8 company under the Companies Act). Its mandate is to catalyse the creation of quality vocational institutions and certify the skills of the Indian workforce. SSCs are autonomous industry-led bodies set up by NSDC for different sectors.
- NSDC operates under a 51:49 PPP model (51% private sector, 49% government)
- 37 SSCs exist across sectors including IT-ITeS, healthcare, automotive, textiles, retail, beauty and wellness, and green jobs
- SSCs develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Qualification Packs (QPs) that define competency frameworks for each job role
- The National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), with 10 levels, provides a competency-based framework for organizing qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills, and aptitude
- NSDC's monitoring mechanism involves spot inspections, reviews, and show-cause notices, with a final decision on blacklisting taken by NSDC's internal monitoring committee per an approved "penalty grid"
Connection to this news: The involvement of 19 SSCs among the blacklisted entities raises questions about quality control at the institutional level. The confusion caused by blanket blacklisting of entire Training Partners (rather than specific centres) has amplified the disruption.
India's Skill Development Ecosystem — Challenges and Institutional Architecture
India's skill development architecture comprises multiple overlapping institutions: NSDC, National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET, merged from NSDA and National Council for Vocational Training in 2018), and the Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions integration of vocational education into mainstream education from Class 6.
- India's demographic dividend: approximately 65% of population under age 35; an estimated 12 million people enter the workforce annually
- Only about 4.7% of India's workforce is formally skilled, compared to 24% in China, 52% in the US, 68% in the UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan, and 96% in South Korea
- The Skill India Mission was launched on July 15, 2015, alongside PMKVY
- Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs): approximately 15,000 ITIs (both government and private) operate under DGT, offering longer-duration training
- Key challenge: "train and forget" approach where job placement rates remain low — data shows only 12-15% of PMKVY trainees secure employment within 3 months of training
Connection to this news: The systemic issues revealed — empty centres, fabricated attendance, low trainee interest, and inspector-reported "weak capacity building" — reflect the broader challenge of India's skill development ecosystem in producing employable, industry-ready workforce rather than just issuing certificates.
Key Facts & Data
- 178 Training Partners/Centres blacklisted under PMKVY 4.0 (October 2025)
- 41 FIRs registered for serious irregularities (as of December 2025)
- Total functioning centres under PMKVY 4.0: 12,840
- 19 of the 178 blacklisted entities are run by Sector Skill Councils
- 27.08 lakh candidates trained across 38 sectors under PMKVY 4.0
- PMKVY course duration: typically 300-600 hours
- India's formally skilled workforce: approximately 4.7% (vs 68% in UK, 75% in Germany)