- Why in news
- On 22 October 2026, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment released a factual report on PM-DAKSH, giving training and placement figures, evaluation findings and the scheme's merger with PMKVY from 2024-25.
- What it is
- PM-DAKSH is a Central Sector Scheme of the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, launched in 2020-21. It gave skill training to SCs, OBCs, EWS, De-notified Tribes and Safai Karamcharis including waste pickers. The aim was self-employment and wage-employment.
- Type and launch
- A Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020-21 for SC, OBC, EWS, DNT and Safai Karamchari groups including waste pickers.
- Implementing agencies
- Three DoSJE corporations ran it: NSFDC, NBCFDC and NSKFDC.
- Funding and training institutes
- DoSJE funds the Corporations, which reimburse training costs to institutes empanelled under PMKVY of MSDE.
- Placement condition
- Institutes must place at least 70% of trained candidates, or the 3rd installment (30% of training cost) is forfeited.
- Outcomes 2020-21 to 2023-24
- 1,87,305 candidates were trained and 96,162 placed.
Don’t confuse with PM-DAKSH vs PMKVY: PM-DAKSH was run by DoSJE through its corporations for specific target groups; PMKVY is the Skill Development Ministry's flagship skilling scheme, under which PM-DAKSH institutes were empanelled.
Don’t confuse with Central Sector vs Centrally Sponsored: A Central Sector Scheme is fully funded and run by the Centre. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme shares costs with states.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Targeted skilling for marginalised groups, including safai karamcharis and waste pickers, to support jobs and self-employment.
- The evaluation reports gains in confidence, self-esteem and social recognition, especially for women.
Problems
- Placements (96,162) were about half of those trained (1,87,305), so the 70% placement condition appears not to have been met overall.
- Merger into PMKVY may dilute focus on specific target groups.
Way forward
- Track post-training employment and income over time, with disaggregated data for target groups.
- Keep dedicated outreach and linkages with industry and loans for these groups within PMKVY.
Put in your answer
PM-DAKSH outcome data: 1,87,305 trained and 96,162 placed during 2020-21 to 2023-24.
- 2021Mains GS2 · Q7Whether Earn while you learn scheme needs strengthening for meaningful vocational training
- 2023Mains GS2 · Q18Analyse linkages between education, skill and employment given skill programmes' success
- 2016Mains GS2 · Q16Measures taken to make manpower educated, skilled and employable for demographic dividend
- 2017Prelims Q3Recognition of Prior Learning Scheme is mentioned with reference to what?
- 2017Prelims Q61Which statements about NSQF certification and vocational mobility are correct?
- 2018Prelims Q78Which statements about Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana are correct?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme for SC, OBC, DNT and safai karamcharis skilling, now merged into PMKVY. Schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions, but a merged scheme is a weak question target.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.