Around 70,000 rural youth are expected to begin skill training under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0 across 24 States and Union Territories from October 2026, the Ministry of Rural Development said.
According to the DDU-GKY 2.0 portal, targets of 5.6 lakh beneficiaries covering more than 1,200 projects have been allocated to Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) by 24 States/UTs, while other States/UTs are at an advanced stage of target allocation.
A total of 2,015 training batches involving around 70,000 rural youth are expected to commence across these 24 States/UTs in October 2026.
DDU-GKY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that provides placement-linked skill training to poor rural youth. The duration of training ranges from three to 12 months.
All 31 participating States/UTs have been allocated more than nine lakh targets under DDU-GKY 2.0 for the two-year period from 2026 to 2028.
Under the scheme, States and UTs are required to mobilise rural youth and organise placement-linked skill training based on demand in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The training is offered in courses aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), with the objective of enabling sustained employability among beneficiaries.
The Ministry has emphasised that the current phase is crucial for States/UTs and called upon them to accelerate the allocation of targets to Project Implementation Agencies and commence training batches within the stipulated timelines.
States/UTs have been asked to ensure allocation of targets to PIAs for commencement of training by October 31, 2026, at the latest.
The Ministry is also conducting review meetings in phases with States and UTs to build momentum in the processes leading to the commencement of training batches.
