Corruption cloud: Skill Ministry blacklists 178 training partners, Pg1.

Key Highlights:

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) blacklisted 178 Training Partners (TPs) and Training Centers (TCs) under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) due to irregularities [i.e. absentee students, fake documentation, non-existent centers].
• The action follows monitoring of the PMKVY 4.0 scheme, launched in 2022, and examination of inspection reports.
• Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of blacklisted entities (59), followed by Delhi (25), Madhya Pradesh (24), and Rajasthan (20).
• The ministry has initiated recovery of payments and legal action against the defaulting TPs and TCs.

Detailed Insights:

• The irregularities were found in the execution of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), the flagship training programme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• The PMKVY scheme was launched in 2015, and until June 2025, over 1.64 crore youth have received training with Rs 1,538 crore allocated for the year 2024-25.
• The ministry's communication states that after “continuously monitoring implementation” and on the basis of examining inspection reports, 178 TPs and TCs have been blacklisted by the Ministry and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) which implements the scheme.
• The ministry has instructed state and mission heads overseeing PMKVY to take appropriate action while considering proposals under any government skilling scheme, given the discrepancies observed in the centers.
• In 122 of the 178 cases, the identity of the TP was different from that of the TC; in 56 cases, the identity of the TP and TC is similar.
• In May 2025, a “public notice” was issued by the NSDC announcing the ouster of its CEO Ved Mani Tewari.
• In August 2025, the MSDE Ministry lodged a police complaint against two officials it had handpicked to pull the corporation out of crisis after Tewari’s departure.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): A flagship skill development scheme by the Indian government to provide vocational training to youth.
• Training Partner (TP): Organizations or individuals responsible for running training centers under the PMKVY scheme.
• Training Center (TC): Facilities where training is imparted to candidates under the PMKVY scheme.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC): An organization that implements the PMKVY scheme and promotes skill development.