What Happened
- Data reveals that less than half of those trained under the PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi) scheme for Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and Denotified Tribes have secured employment.
- Training institutes under the scheme are contractually required to place 70% of trained candidates in wage or self-employment, but actual placement rates have consistently fallen short of this target.
- The scheme, a Central Sector initiative under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, was launched in 2020-21 to upskill marginalised communities.
- The gap between training numbers and actual placements raises questions about the quality of training, the accountability of implementing agencies, and the effectiveness of skill development programmes targeted at disadvantaged groups.
Static Topic Bridges
PM-DAKSH Yojana -- Scheme Architecture and Implementation
PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi) Yojana is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020-21 by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. It aims to enhance the competency and employability of target groups -- SCs, OBCs, Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), Denotified Tribes (DNTs), and Safai Karamcharis including waste pickers -- through free skill development training programmes.
- Implemented through three PSUs: National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC), and National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
- Budget outlay: Rs 450.25 crore for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, targeting approximately 2,71,000 beneficiaries
- Training types: Up-skilling/re-skilling, short-term training, long-term training, and entrepreneurship development programmes
- Stipend: Rs 1,500/month for SC candidates and Rs 1,000/month for OBC/EWS/DNT candidates (non-residential programmes)
- PM-DAKSH Portal and Mobile App launched on 07.08.2021 for online registration and tracking
- Placement mandate: Training institutes must provide wage/self-employment to 70% of trained candidates
Connection to this news: The reported placement rate of below 50% against the mandated 70% target exposes a significant implementation gap, questioning whether the scheme's PSU-based delivery model is effective in achieving its stated employment objectives.
Article 46 -- DPSP on Promoting Interests of Weaker Sections
Article 46 of the Indian Constitution, part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV), directs the State to "promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation." While DPSPs are non-justiciable under Article 37, they serve as the foundational mandate for welfare legislation and affirmative action programmes.
- Located in Part IV of the Constitution (Articles 36-51), which lays down guiding principles for governance
- Reflects the Gandhian principle of social justice, inspired by the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar
- Forms the constitutional basis for reservation policies, special welfare schemes, and protective legislation for SCs, STs, and other backward classes
- Read alongside Article 15(4) (special provisions for advancement of socially and educationally backward classes) and Article 16(4) (reservation in public employment)
- Supreme Court in State of Kerala v. N.M. Thomas (1976) held that Articles 14, 15, and 16 must be read with Article 46 to achieve substantive equality
Connection to this news: PM-DAKSH is a direct legislative expression of the Article 46 mandate. The underperformance in placement outcomes suggests that the constitutional objective of promoting economic interests of weaker sections requires stronger accountability mechanisms beyond scheme design.
Denotified Tribes (DNTs) -- Historical Context and Welfare Framework
Denotified Tribes are communities that were classified as "criminal tribes" under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 during British rule, based on the assumption that certain communities were inherently predisposed to crime. They were "denotified" after independence when the Act was repealed in 1952, but social stigma and marginalisation have persisted.
- Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 (amended 1911, 1924) branded entire communities as habitual offenders; repealed by the Criminal Tribes (Repeal) Act, 1952
- Habitual Offenders Act, 1952 replaced the CTA but continued surveillance-based approaches in some states
- Renke Commission (2005): Estimated DNT population at approximately 10.74 crore (Census 2001 basis)
- Idate Commission (2014, report submitted 2018): Identified 1,262 communities as denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic across states
- SEED Scheme (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs): Launched February 2022 by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, covering coaching, health insurance, livelihood support, and housing assistance
- Many DNT communities are not classified under SC/ST/OBC categories, leaving them outside the reservation framework
Connection to this news: DNTs are one of the target groups under PM-DAKSH. Their historical marginalisation and lack of institutional support make effective skill training and placement particularly critical, and the low placement rates disproportionately affect these already vulnerable communities.
Key Facts & Data
- PM-DAKSH launched: 2020-21; nodal body: Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
- Budget: Rs 450.25 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26; target: 2,71,000 beneficiaries
- Mandated placement rate: 70% of trained candidates
- 2020-21: 32,097 trained, 24,652 placed (76.8%)
- 2021-22: 42,002 trained, 31,033 placed (73.9%)
- 2022-23: 33,021 trained, 21,552 placed (65.3%)
- Implementing PSUs: NSFDC, NBCFDC, NSKFDC
- Article 46 (DPSP): Constitutional directive to promote educational and economic interests of SCs, STs, and weaker sections
- DNTs denotified: 1952 (Criminal Tribes Act repealed); Idate Commission identified 1,262 DNT/NT/SNT communities