Hyderabad: First rural Entrepreneurship training program on Biochar, an initiative at Kanha Shanti Vanam

Minister Jayant Chaudhary emphasised flexible, locally-driven skill development at a Hyderabad workshop. He announced new Centres of Excellence and shared progress under PMKVY, NAPS, and Jan Shikshan Sansthan, highlighting strong female participation and over 10 lakh apprentices trained regionally

Hyderabad: Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary, called for a shift away from rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches in skilling.

Speaking at the Kaushal Manthan Regional Workshop organised by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad, he said, “Skill development cannot have prescriptive templates. We must empower states to craft solutions that are rooted in their local economic contexts and aligned with the aspirations of their youth.”

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The Minister announced the establishment of two new Centres of Excellence—out of the five proposed nationwide—at National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in Hyderabad and Chennai.

Over 27.8 lakh candidates have been trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) across the region since 2015, Under the Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme, more than 4.85 lakh beneficiaries—over 85 per cent women—have been trained. More than 10 lakh apprentices have been engaged since FY 2018-19 under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), with a DBT disbursement of Rs 215 crore in the region.