The Central Government’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) gives free skill training to rural youth and helps them get a job. It was launched on 25 September 2014, Antyodaya Diwas. It runs under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana — National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development and is a Centrally Sponsored scheme. Its purpose is to help young people from poor rural families learn skills, get jobs and move out of poverty.
Who can apply
The applicant must be a rural youth — aged 15 to 35 years. The applicant must come from a poor family — that is, below the poverty line (BPL) or eligible under the BPL criteria. The scheme also has quotas — 50% SC/ST, 33% women and 5% persons with disabilities. Young people get at least 576 hours of training — 396 hours of domain (skill) training and 180 hours of non-domain training (such as English, computer and personality development). Training is given in more than 250 trades — such as tailoring, electrician, beautician, retail, hospitality and IT.
What is given
The training is completely free — it includes accommodation, food, uniform and study material. The scheme’s placement target is 70% — that is, the target is to place at least 70% of trained youth in jobs (this is not a job guarantee, but a placement target). After getting a job, ₹7,620 of support is given — as ₹1,270 a month for 6 months. If the young person stays employed for 365 days, he or she also gets ₹5,000 of retention support. The DDU-GKY 2.0 guidelines were issued in May 2025 — they extended the placement duration from 3 months to 6 months.
How much work is done
Since the scheme began, 18.47 lakh youth have been trained and 12.43 lakh youth have been placed in jobs. 749 projects, more than 760 centres and 455 training agencies (PIAs) are working in 31 States and Union Territories. The Budget for 2026-27 provides ₹750 crore for this scheme.
How to apply
Applications are made on the Kaushal Panjee portal, kaushal.rural.gov.in. Register there — fill in your name, age, education and preferred trade. After registration, contact the nearest training centre or get information from your District Rural Development Agency (DRDA). You can also visit a training centre directly to enquire. Do not pay anyone for applying — this facility is completely free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What does DDU-GKY give?
A: At least 576 hours of free skill training for rural youth (including accommodation, food and uniform) and ₹7,620 support after placement.
Q2: Who can apply?
A: Rural youth aged 15–35 from poor families; quotas are 50% SC/ST, 33% women, 5% persons with disabilities.
Q3: Is a job guaranteed?
A: No — the scheme’s placement target is 70%, that is, a target for placing youth in jobs, not a guarantee.
Q4: Where do I apply?
A: Register on the Kaushal Panjee portal, kaushal.rural.gov.in, or contact the nearest training centre or DRDA.
Useful links
- Kaushal Panjee portal: https://kaushal.rural.gov.in/
- DDU-GKY scheme on MyScheme: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/ddugku
- DDU-GKY employer meet (our post): https://www.viksitharyana.com/ddu-gky-captive-employer-cxo-meet-jaipur-1-83-lakh/
- Next Action: see all 726 Central Government schemes — https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/kendra-sarkar-ki-yojnayen-2/
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