The Ministry of Rural Development announced that six beneficiaries of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) program have been invited as Special Guests for India's 80th Independence Day celebrations on 15 August 2026. The selected youth represent six states: West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Mizoram, and Nagaland.
These beneficiaries received official invitation letters through India Post to attend two prestigious events: the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort and the 'At Home' dinner reception hosted by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This honor serves as national recognition of both their individual achievements and the transformative impact of the DDU-GKY program in enabling skills development, sustainable livelihoods, and dignified employment for rural youth.
DDU-GKY is the flagship placement-linked skill development program under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development. The program provides rural poor youth with industry-relevant skills, nationally recognized certifications, and access to sustainable employment opportunities. Through this initiative, lakhs of rural youth across India have gained long-term livelihood opportunities, becoming economically empowered and self-reliant contributors to India's growth.
The recognition of these six beneficiaries reflects the collective efforts of State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs), and the Ministry of Rural Development. This achievement is expected to inspire millions of rural youth across India and reinforce the vision that skills create opportunities, sustainable livelihoods build self-reliance, and empowered youth accelerate progress toward a Viksit Bharat.