PM Vishwakarma: At 68%, women beneficiaries outshine men in skill training

The initiative has provided training to 350,000 individuals so far, of which 240,000 (68.76%) are women, and 110,000 (31.3%) are men

Under the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana, women surpassed men in participating in skills training, with over 95 per cent of them choosing tailoring as their preferred trade.

Introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2023, the initiative has provided training to 350,000 individuals so far. Among them, 240,000 (68.76 per cent) are women, and 110,000 (31.3 per cent) are men. Of the women participants, 230,000 gained expertise in tailoring, while the majority of males, totaling 33,104, chose masonry training, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).

According to government statistics, 1.04 million individuals have registered for training under the programme, falling short of the intended target of 3 million.

The states with the most beneficiaries under the programme are Karnataka (83,067), Gujarat (56,221), Jammu and Kashmir (55,856), Andhra Pradesh (44,922), Assam (24,851), Maharashtra (17,557), Uttar Pradesh (13,026), Madhya Pradesh (10,692), Rajasthan (7,846), and Chhattisgarh (7,830), the report said.

However, the initiative has yet to gain momentum in eight states, including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, where only one registration has been recorded in each state, and training has not commenced.

The ET reported a senior government official as saying that efforts are underway to encourage these states and Union Territories (UTs) to implement the scheme promptly, aiming to maximise its benefits for the population.

“Some of these states and UTs have not even on-boarded village panchayats for identification of beneficiaries. Unless that happens, training cannot start," the official said.

The programme includes traditional artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 traditional trades. Beneficiaries receive five to seven days of basic training, with the option for advanced training lasting up to 15 days.

Under the scheme, the objective is to cultivate the talent and skills of the beneficiaries, paving the way for them to either start their own businesses or secure employment in their preferred trade.

Each beneficiary receives a stipend of Rs 500 per day during the training period, along with a Vishwakarma certificate and ID card. These documents are given to validate their skill sets when they pursue employment opportunities, the report stated.

Moreover, beneficiaries are eligible for a collateral-free enterprise development loan of up to Rs 2 lakh at discounted rates, a Rs 15,000 incentive for purchasing a toolkit, assistance with marketing, and an incentive for digital transactions to aid in establishing their enterprises.