PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi)

Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide skill training, livelihood support and entrepreneurship development to marginalised communities. It is operationalised through the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC), the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC).

The scheme targets six broad categories: Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), Safai Karamcharis and their dependents, economically backward classes among the general category, and persons with disabilities (PwDs) across all communities. Each target group has a dedicated channel corporation responsible for empanelling training providers, conducting outreach, and disbursing stipends.

Unlike generic skill schemes, PM-DAKSH specifically addresses barriers faced by marginalised trainees: lack of prior formal education, social stigma, residential concentration in remote or peri-urban areas, and limited exposure to formal employment networks. This guide explains how the scheme removes those barriers and how you can access it even if you have never used an online portal before.

PM-DAKSH offers training in three broad streams: short-term training (up to 300 hours), long-term training (300–900 hours), and up-skilling / re-skilling for workers already in informal employment. Trades are aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and include sectors like healthcare, retail, hospitality, construction, plumbing, electrical work, agriculture-allied services, food processing, textiles, automotive, and IT-enabled services.

Training is delivered through government ITIs, polytechnics, Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS), and private training providers empanelled by the channel corporations. Each trainee receives free study material, a toolkit or uniform where required, and accident insurance for the training duration. Upon completion, trainees undergo assessment by the relevant Sector Skill Council or State Skill Development Mission and receive an NSQF-aligned certificate.

For persons with disabilities, training venues are selected based on accessibility audits, and curriculum adaptations are made for visual, hearing and locomotor impairments. Sign-language interpreters, screen-reading software and modified toolkits are provided as needed. Women trainees receive additional modules on financial literacy, digital literacy, and gender-safety at work.

Trainees receive a monthly stipend during the training period. The exact amount varies by trade duration and state norms but generally ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per month. For trades requiring residential training, food and accommodation costs are also covered or subsidised. Travel allowances are provided for trainees who must commute more than 10 kilometres.

Post-training, every trainee is linked to either wage employment or self-employment. For wage employment, the training provider or channel corporation arranges interviews with employer partners and tracks placement for at least six months. For self-employment, trainees can apply for micro-credit through the channel corporation’s existing loan schemes (e.g., NSFDC Term Loan) at subsidised interest rates.

A dedicated placement cell at each training centre maintains relationships with local employers, industrial clusters, and government contractors. Trainees who do not secure immediate placement are given additional soft-skills coaching, digital literacy training, and referral to other government employment schemes like MGNREGA, NULM, or PMEGP.

The primary registration channel is the PM-DAKSH portal (pm-daksh.gov.in), where applicants can browse upcoming training batches, select their preferred trade and centre, and upload documents. However, the scheme explicitly recognises that many target beneficiaries lack internet access or digital literacy.

For offline applicants, every district has a designated District Nodal Officer (DNO) under the respective channel corporation. You can visit the District Social Welfare Office, the District Industries Centre (DIC), or the nearest ITI to collect a physical application form. Community mobilisers also conduct outreach camps in SC colonies, OBC-dominated villages, and areas with high concentrations of Safai Karamcharis.

Required documents include: caste certificate (SC/OBC/DNT), disability certificate (if applicable), income certificate, Aadhaar, age proof (minimum 18 years, no upper age limit for PwDs), and two passport-size photographs. Once the application is submitted, the DNO verifies documents and allots a training batch within 30 days. You will receive an SMS or a letter with the training centre address, start date, and stipend disbursement schedule.

PM-DAKSH has a three-tier grievance mechanism: first, the training centre nodal officer; second, the district nodal officer of the channel corporation; and third, the national helpline (1800-121-2000) and online grievance portal. Complaints about training quality, stipend delays, or non-placement are tracked centrally and resolved within 30 days.

Quality monitoring includes unannounced inspections by channel corporation officials, trainee feedback forms, and post-placement telephone surveys. Training providers with poor ratings are de-empanelled. This creates an incentive for centres to maintain genuine placement records rather than fabricating offer letters.

The most common pitfall is applying under the wrong channel corporation. SC applicants must apply through NSFDC, OBCs through NBCFDC, Safai Karamcharis through NSKFDC, and minorities through NMDFC. Applying through the wrong channel will delay processing. Another frequent error is not updating Aadhaar-linked bank account details; stipends are transferred only to Aadhaar-seeded accounts to prevent leakage.

• 01Belong to SC, OBC (non-creamy layer), DNT, Safai Karamchari, minority communities, or be a PwD
• 02Age 18 years and above (no upper limit for PwDs; 45 for others, with state-level relaxations)
• 03Family income below the prescribed ceiling for the respective channel corporation (typically Rs 3–6 lakh per annum)
• 04Minimum educational qualification varies by trade: some accept Class 5 pass, others require Class 10 or 12
• 05Not currently enrolled in a similar government-sponsored skill-training programme

• §Aadhaar card (mandatory for stipend disbursement)
• §Caste / community certificate (SC / OBC / DNT / Safai Karamchari)
• §Income certificate issued by competent authority (Tehsildar / BDO)
• §Disability certificate (if claiming PwD quota)
• §Age proof (birth certificate / school records / Aadhaar)
• §Educational qualification certificates
• §Bank passbook (Aadhaar-seeded, for stipend transfer)

• Applying through the wrong channel corporation (e.g., an OBC applicant applying via NSFDC)
• Income above the non-creamy layer or prescribed corporation ceiling
• Bank account not linked to Aadhaar, causing stipend transfer failure
• Incomplete training attendance (below 75% attendance disqualifies from certification and stipend)
• Duplicate enrolment in another government skill scheme (e.g., PMKVY or DDUGKY) simultaneously

• PM-DAKSH Guidelines and FAQs, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowermentlink ↗
• NSFDC / NBCFDC / NSKFDC Operational Manuals, Channel Corporations, MoSJElink ↗
• National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) Handbook, NSDA / MSDElink ↗
• PM-DAKSH Training Provider Empanelment Circular 2024, MoSJElink ↗