India's PM-DAKSH skill development scheme faces political scrutiny

The PM-DAKSH scheme, an initiative designed to provide skill training to Scheduled Castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), denotified and nomadic tribes, and sanitation workers, is facing conflicting reports regarding its effectiveness.

According to a factsheet from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the program has trained over 1.87 lakh candidates between 2020-21 and 2023-24, with 96,162 job placement offers issued. The Ministry reported that over 90 per cent of beneficiaries found the training aligned with their career goals and local labor market needs. Total expenditure for the period reached Rs 309.5 crore against an allotted budget of Rs 276.47 crore.

Conversely, the Congress party has accused the Modi government of serious implementation lapses. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed the scheme has delivered little on the ground, describing the results as a “big, fat zero” and alleging that the program has become mere paperwork despite its objectives to improve employability for marginalized groups.