The major initiatives taken by the Ministry during the Year-2020 are as follows:

    1. The National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) was subsumed in NCVET on 01.08.2020.

    2. The NCVET finalized the Awarding Body and Assessment Agency Guidelines and launched the same. Similarly, an Unique Identifiable Certification System was finalized and Launched.

    3. National Skill Development Mission (NSDM)

    4. Approval of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0: The new PMKVY is targeting to train 8 Lakh candidates at an outlay of INR 948.90 Crore during 2020-21.

    5. On-boarding of PMKVY Scheme on UMANG Platform: Various services of the PMKVY scheme are live on the UMANG Platform as follows: Candidate Registration, Find a Training centre, Track Status.

Trainings at ITIs/NSTIs and promotion of Apprenticeship

    6. Examinations in NSTI/ITI: AITT for Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) is being held from 23.11.2020 onwards.

    7. Online Virtual classes: Online virtual classes for ITI trainees are being conducted using dedicated Virtual classroom software by ITI expert trainers, Skilled experienced NSTI Officers and Industry experts.

    8. Inauguration of NSTI Websites: Websites for all the 33 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) (with common templates)

    9. Digital Platform: A digital skill platform has been developed for reskilling/upskilling of ITI instructors and trainees which integrates trainees, teachers, institutes, government and the corporates for complete life cycle of the training process and a pilot run has made successfully.

    10. STRIVE: Many new initiatives and milestones achieved under Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) programme.

SANKALP

    11. Launch of SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) portal.

    12. Launch of Online DSDP Toolkit: It will assist the District officials in planning, implementation and monitoring of the skill development initiatives in their Districts.

International Engagements

    13. Health Sector Cooperation with Switzerland

    14. Skill Partnership with Australia

    15. Migration of Health Workers to foreign countries

Initiatives during COVID-19

    16. 12 NSTI/ ITI buildings have been requisitioned by the District Authorities in light of CORONA.

    17. Similarly, PMKVY training partners have also provided their premises for such facilities, including for a temporary hospital.

    18. Institutions under MSDE ecosystem have been active in manufacture of masks and hand sanitizers.

    19. Many of the ITIs/ NSTI have indulged in innovative design and manufacturing to assist the fight against COVID.

    20. Restarting of Training: The ITIs, the training centres under PMKVY and Apprenticeship training establishments have started functioning in the month of October.

Other initiatives

    21. Kaushalacharya Awards 2020: A total of 92 teachers/trainers were awarded in five Award Categories.

    22. World Youth Skills Day Program (WYSD): MSDE celebrated the WYSD on 15th July

    23. Swachhata Pakhwada 2020 Program

    24. FDI Cell: A cell has been created in the Ministry to process the proposals received from the countries sharing border(s) with India and pertaining to MSDE.

    25. Rajbhasha Award 2020.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)