Indian Railways takes step to advance Skill India Mission

New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): In an attempt to empower youth by providing entry-level training in industry-relevant skills through railway training institutes as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' commemorating 75 years of independence, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
RKVY, a programme under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), was launched in Rail Bhavan today.
Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said that it is an auspicious day as Vishwakarma Jayanti is being celebrated across the country. He also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday and dedicated RKVY as the gift of Railways to the prime minister.
"The vision of skill development is an integral part of the vision of prime minister and 50,000 youths will be trained under RKVY. The aim of this initiative is to impart training skills to the youth in various trades to bring qualitative improvement," he stated.
The minister also emphasised that training in remote areas will also be conducted under RKVY and stressed that the youths should enjoy the training process.
The training will be provided to 50,000 candidates over a period of three years in four trades, that is, electrician, welder, machinist and fitter. It will comprise of initial basic training of 100 hours. Training programmes in other trades will be added by zonal railways and production units based on regional demands and needs assessment.
It will be provided free of cost and participants will be selected from applications received online, following a transparent mechanism on the basis of marks in matriculation. Candidates who are 10th passed and between 18-35 years of age shall be eligible to apply. Participants in the scheme shall, however, have no claim to seek employment in Railways on the basis of this training.
The programme curriculum has been developed by Banaras Locomotive Works, the nodal PU for this scheme, which will also standardise assessments and maintain a centralised database of participants. The scheme is being launched for 1,000 participants initially and will be over and above the training provided to apprentices under the Apprentice Act 1961.
Seventy-five railway training institutes spread across the country have been shortlisted to provide training in aforesaid trades, to cover youth from all over the country. The scheme aims to improve the employability of the youth and upgrade the skills of self-employed and those who are working with contractors through re-skilling and up-skilling and contribute towards the Skill India Mission. (ANI)