The Ministry of Rural Development is set to commence Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0 training batches across most States/UTs from October 2026. This centrally sponsored scheme provides placement-linked skill training for poor rural youth with training duration varying from 3 to 12 months.
In the first phase, preparedness for training commencement was reviewed with 14 States/UTs: Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana, and Bihar. These states will commence 1,164 training batches with 34,920 rural youth starting in October 2026, against a sanctioned target of 357,112 rural youth to be trained by December 31, 2027.
As per the DDU-GKY 2.0 portal, allocation of 5.6 lakh targets toward more than 1,200 projects has been completed by 24 States/UTs, with other states in advanced stages of target allocation. States/UTs are required to ensure allocation of targets to Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) for commencement of training latest by October 31, 2026. Based on information received from across 31 implementing States/UTs, more than 5 lakh targets have already been allocated to PIAs for mobilization of eligible rural youth.
The Ministry highlighted that the integrated DDU-GKY 2.0 portal is equipped to facilitate end-to-end project lifecycle, promoting greater efficiency, transparency, and digital monitoring. States/UTs were advised to complete integration with State Treasury Portals by September 30, 2026, to facilitate online payments through the Grameen Kaushal Portal.
To familiarize PIAs with the digital platform, the Ministry is organizing regional workshops in hybrid mode at four locations during October 2026: Shillong (October 5, 2026), Vijayawada (October 7, 2026), Mumbai (October 9, 2026), and Dharamshala (October 16, 2026). These workshops will brief PIAs on the DDU-GKY 2.0 portal processes and functionalities and address implementation-related concerns.
The financial status of the scheme was reviewed during the meeting, with participating States/UTs indicating that expenditure is expected to increase with the commencement of training batches from October 2026 onwards. The review meeting was held with participation of Joint Secretary Skills, Director (Skills), and CEOs, COOs, and other State officials over video conferencing.