Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday hit back at the Congress for its criticism of the Skill India Mission, saying the party can stay afloat only on the back of “misinformation, fakery and deception”.
The senior BJP leader was responding to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s allegations that there has been a massive drop of 94 percent between 2015 to 2021 in skill training centres, that 83 percent of those trained under the Skill India Mission were not placed and that 20 percent of the trainees dropped out midway.
“Shriman Kharge saheb knows the Congress Party can stay afloat only on the back of misinformation, fakery and deception. But often in their haste to peddle lies, the Congress closes its eyes on facts and misrepresents figures at will. The 40 crore people that Kharge ji is quoting was the approximate size of working age individuals estimated to be a part of our population.
“This population size had various categories of individuals that require fresh skilling as well as re-skilling and up-skilling. Earlier, Congress leaders cast a spell of doubt on the capacity and capability of Indians. Today, Congress leaders are casting a spell of doubt on a flagship scheme that is boosting capacities and capabilities of Indians,” Pradhan said in a post on X.
Kharge said that while BJP claims that 40 Crore people were to be trained by 2022, under Skill India Mission launched in 2015 by PM Modi, only 3.5 per cent were trained till December 2023.
Pradhan, who is the Union Education and Skill Development Minister, said, “Since 2015 more than seven crore people have been equipped with employable skills under various schemes across the country. To further enlighten Kharge Saheb, let me add that 1.5 crore people, the 3-4 percent he is talking about, have been skilled in one component of Skill India alone — Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY.)” “More than 20 Ministries of the Central Govt, State and industry-run skilling institutions are also skilling population at scale. 43 per cent of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) beneficiaries have been absorbed in the workforce,” Pradhan said.
