New Delhi: The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana – the Modi government's flagship skill development scheme – doesn't seem to be having the positive effect on employment that the government had planned. According to the Business Standard, only one in four or 22.2% of those certified under the PMKVY had found jobs as of March 14, 2023.

The PMKVY has seen three phases so far – 2015–16, 2016–20 and 2020–2022. Phase two, the longest, saw the highest number of candidates trained – 109.98 lakh. It also had the highest placement percentage, at 23.4%. Phase one saw 19.86 lakh people trained and a placement percentage of 18.4%, and phase three saw 4.45 lakh people trained and a placement percentage of 10.1%.

Union minister of skill development and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan said in parliament earlier this week that the government will soon launch the fourth phase of the scheme.

Business Standard pointed out that three out of 36 states and union territories – Maharashtra, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar – had less than 10% candidates placed as of March 14, 2023, according to the PMKVY dashboard. "The top states and union territories in terms of placement include Ladakh (57.65 per cent), Mizoram (41.16 per cent), Punjab (39.26 per cent), Sikkim (38.32 per cent) and Puducherry (34.09 per cent)," the newspaper noted.

The PMKVY was first introduced in 2015 by the government under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with an objective to mobilise youth to take up skill training.

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