Only 18% Placement, Fake Records, Wrong DBT Accounts: CAG Raises Alarm on Skill India

Skill India Under CAG Scanner: Audit Flags Data Errors, Fake Centres and Poor Job Outcomes

New Delhi: A flagship initiative of the Narendra Modi government aimed at skilling India’s youth has come under sharp scrutiny after a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit revealed widespread implementation failures, serious data discrepancies and questionable outcomes. The audit of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), a key component of the Skill India Mission, has raised concerns over transparency, efficiency and accountability in one of the government’s most ambitious employment-oriented programmes.

Grand Vision, Weak Ground Reality

Launched in 2015, the Skill India Mission was projected as a transformative programme to empower young Indians with industry-relevant skills, enhance employability and meet the growing demands of the economy. Announcing the initiative, the government said it was meant to “instil confidence among poor families” and energise the workforce through structured skill training.

Under its umbrella operate multiple schemes, including PMKVY, the National Apprentice Promotion Scheme, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) and the Craftsmen Training Scheme through ITIs. The focus was placed on emerging sectors such as digital technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics and the Internet of Things, with official claims that millions of youth had been trained over the years.

Audit Reveals Missed Targets and Poor Employment

However, the CAG audit paints a far less optimistic picture. According to the report presented in Parliament, the targets set under PMKVY were “unrealistic and unachieved”. Between 2017 and 2023, State Skill Missions trained only about 1.15 lakh individuals, a fraction of the annual targets that ran into millions.

More worrying was the outcome of the training. The audit found that only around 18 per cent of those trained were able to secure employment, significantly lower than the scheme’s stated goal of a 70 per cent placement rate. The CAG noted that training was often not aligned with actual labour market demand, limiting its usefulness for participants.

Data Errors, Fake Records and Non-Functional Centres

The audit also flagged severe deficiencies in data management. Nearly 94 per cent of bank account details uploaded on the Skill India portal were found to be incorrect, incomplete or invalid. As a result, direct benefit transfers could not be properly executed, depriving many certified candidates of financial support.

Physical verification of training centres revealed further irregularities. Several centres shown as active in official records were found closed or non-operational on the ground. The CAG also reported instances of the same photograph being used for multiple trainees, non-existent training partners, unqualified trainers and improper distribution of funds in certain states.

Financial Irregularities and Accountability Questions

The report pointed to money being deposited into wrong bank accounts, unreliable beneficiary records and weak monitoring systems, making it difficult to track how public funds were actually used. It concluded that inadequate oversight and poor planning led to wastage of resources.

These findings have renewed questions about the government’s repeated assertions of zero tolerance towards corruption. The audit stands in contrast to claims that no major scams occurred during the current tenure, and it has sparked debate over accountability and the silence of political supporters in the face of documented irregularities.

As the Skill India Mission continues, the CAG’s observations underline the urgent need for course correction, stricter monitoring and alignment of training with real employment opportunities—lest a programme designed to empower youth ends up failing the very people it promised to uplift.