The Ministry of Rural Development is set to begin new training batches under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0 across 24 states and Union Territories from October 2026.
Around 70,000 rural youth are expected to start skill development programmes during October, with nearly 2,015 training batches scheduled to commence across the participating states and UTs.
DDU-GKY was launched on September 25, 2014, to provide skill training and employment opportunities to rural youth between 15 and 35 years of age from economically disadvantaged families.
What Is DDU-GKY 2.0?
DDU-GKY is a Central government-sponsored initiative under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). The programme focuses on improving income opportunities for rural households by providing sector-specific training aimed at employment.
The scheme also supports broader national programmes, including Skill India, Make in India and Digital India. Depending on the course, the training period can range from three months to 12 months.
The Ministry said DDU-GKY 2.0 training batches will be rolled out across most states and UTs beginning in October 2026.
More Than 9 Lakh Training Targets for 2026-28
According to the Ministry, all 31 participating States and UTs have been allocated more than 9 lakh targets under DDU-GKY 2.0 for the two-year period from 2026 to 2028.
States and Union Territories have been asked to mobilise eligible rural youth and arrange demand-based, placement-linked training through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The training programmes will also include courses aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), with the aim of supporting the long-term employability of beneficiaries.
The Ministry has directed States and UTs to allocate their targets to Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) so that training can begin by October 31, 2026.
5.6 Lakh Youth Covered Under Current Allocations
As per information available on the DDU-GKY 2.0 portal, 24 states and Union Territories have so far allocated training targets for around 5.6 lakh rural youth.
These targets have been assigned to Project Implementation Agencies across more than 1,200 projects. The remaining states are at advanced stages of completing their target allocations, according to the Ministry.
The initiative is expected to expand access to skill-based training for rural youth as implementation of DDU-GKY 2.0 progresses during the 2026-28 period.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information released by the Ministry of Rural Development and reported by ANI. Training targets, schedules and implementation details may change based on government decisions and state-level execution. Readers should refer to official government sources for the latest updates.