Jammu, Feb 12 (KNO): Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) – HIMAYAT scheme in J&K, an initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, aimed at skilling rural youth and ensuring their sustainable placement.
The meeting was attended by Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD), Aijaz Asad; Chief Operating Officer (COO), HIMAYAT, Rajneesh Gupta; and other senior officers.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasized the need to achieve the training targets under the revamped HIMAYAT 2.0 within stipulated timelines. He directed the department to adopt a result-oriented approach and strictly link payments to Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) with their placement performance to ensure accountability and improved outcomes.
Reviewing the performance of the scheme’s first phase, the Chief Secretary took note of the number of youth trained and the overall fund utilization. He also assessed the progress achieved during the current financial year 2025–26 and the targets earmarked under HIMAYAT 2.0.
On this occasion Secretary, RDD, Aijaz Asad, informed that the scheme provides job-linked skill training to eligible rural youth and facilitates their placement in regular employment, gig economy opportunities, or self-employment ventures, thereby promoting sustainable livelihoods.
He stated that the first version of the programme, implemented from 2016 to 2026, resulted in the training of 36,316 candidates across the Union Territory. Under DDU-GKY 2.0, which became effective from April 2025, Jammu and Kashmir has been assigned a target of training 2,248 candidates for the year 2025–26 with an approved outlay of ₹37.64 Cr. Of this, 1,838 candidates have already been trained so far.
Providing further details, COO HIMAYAT, Rajneesh Gupta, highlighted that during 2025–26, against a target of 996 candidates, 1,589 candidates were trained, with 850 of them successfully placed in various sectors. An expenditure of ₹27.49 Cr has been incurred during the year.
The meeting was informed about the key features of DDU-GKY 2.0, which mandate that PIAs must ensure a minimum of 70 percent placement of trained candidates, with a minimum monthly wage of ₹12,000, to qualify for project cost claims. It was also apprised that batch-wise monitoring has been introduced, including live streaming of training sessions to the HIMAYAT office for real-time monitoring and quality assessment of training delivery by PIAs.
At present, 13 PIAs have been allocated 175 candidates each to meet the overall training targets. These agencies are conducting skill training in various trades across different training centres, including Office Assistant, Assistant Designer, Sales Assistant, Front Office Assistant, General Duty Assistant, Supply Chain Executive, Assembly Operator, Food & Beverage Assistant, and Multi-Skill Technician for Home Appliances.
The meeting also reviewed the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) initiatives undertaken under the scheme. Activities such as Kaushal Parv, Alumni Meets, operation of Kaushal Rath (mobilization van), and screening of documentaries and awareness videos have been conducted across various districts of the Union Territory to enhance outreach and mobilization of eligible youth.
The Chief Secretary reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthening skill development initiatives and directed the department to ensure quality training, enhanced placement outcomes, and sustained livelihood opportunities for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir—(KNO)