Introduction
In the government sponsored skill training eco-system of the country, DDU-GKY or Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana is one the bigger programmes.
What is DDU-GKY?
DDU-GKY aims to skill rural youth who are poor and provide them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. It is one of the cluster of initiatives of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India that seeks to promote rural livelihoods. It is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) - the Mission for poverty reduction called Aajeevika.
The vision of DDU-GKY: Transform rural poor youth into an economically independent and globally relevant workforce.
DDU-GKY is uniquely focused on rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families. As a part of the Skill India campaign, it plays an instrumental role in supporting the social and economic programs of the government like the Make In India, Digital India, Smart Cities and Start-Up India, Stand-Up India campaigns. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is the skilling and placement initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India. DDU-GKY has its origins in the Aajeevika Skills programme and the ‘Special Projects’ component of the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). The scheme focuses on catering to the occupational aspirations of rural youth and enhancing their skills for wage employment.
Implementation of DDU-GKY involves State Governments, Technical Support Agencies like the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD & PR), and Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).
MoRD has notified the Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be followed while implementing the programme. It is mandatory for all project functionaries under DDU-GKY to be trained, assessed and certified in the Standard Operating Procedures. This e-learning portal is designed to facilitate self-learning of the SOP as well as certificatio
IISD has been involved in implementing DDU-GKY in Rajasthan, partnering with RSLDC and in Assam with ASRLM.