Deendayal Upadhyaya – Grameen Kaushalya Yojana - DDU-GKY

• Make NIRDPR the nodal advisory institute for skilling and placement linked programs for rural youth in the country by 2020
• Enhance the competencies of stakeholders and functionaries in the effective implementation of placement linked skills programs for the benefit of the rural youth in India.
• Be a knowledge repository of skilling initiatives and programs in the developing world.
• To be the leader in impact evaluation research of skilling programs

• Work with other Ministries
• Develop knowledge base which could be a reference source for the country
• Develop frameworks and methods in assessing the impact of skill programs
• Development into a process design and certifying agency for skilling systems in country
• Thinking globally with special focus on developing countries in Asia and Africa

Centre for Skills and Jobs (DDU-GKY Centre) is on a threshold:

• It can wipe out many a tear from the eyes of poor and deserving
• It can have a forward looking outlook to make a global impact

Project implementation agency (PIA)

• Ensuring that trainees are able to access skilling and placement services free of cost.
• Providing financial assistance for transport/ lodging and food during training.
• Providing for post placement support for six months.
• Providing for post-placement counseling, facilitation and tracking for one year.
• Providing training in a number of trades that do not require formal education.
• Encouraging exemplary performance in skill development by various stakeholders by instituting awards by State Government
• Migration Support and Alumni Network to enable farm to factory transition.
• Emphasis on regions like Jammu & Kashmir (HIMAYAT), 27 Left Wing Extremist Districts (ROSHINI) and North East States.
• Inclusive Program Design which involves mandatory coverage of socially disadvantaged groups (SC/ST 50%, Minority 15%, Women 33%)

Policy advisory

• Working with the Ministry of Rural Development to design and deliver a standards led delivery for the program
• Working with MoRD and other key stakeholders to define the strategic imperatives of the program
• Designing the Standard Operating Procedures to provide essential quality assurance framework for training infrastructure and service delivery
• Working with MoRD and other key stakeholders to define the policy guidelines for `the program

Capacity building

• The sole Central Agency entrusted with capacity building for the program
• Disseminating knowledge and enabling field functionaries in implementing the DDU-GKY programme
• Knowledge bank - SOP,ESOP & PFMS
• DDU-GKY website,
• Resource pool of Master trainers for orientation on DDU-GKY
• Capacity building of Project Implementing Agencies
• E-office
• Has taken the leadership role in coordinating innovative capacity building initiatives
• Considerable progress in the past one year:
  • Trained around 5000 people in 130 programmes
  • Developed a web portal for e-learning and certification on SOP

Impact evaluation

• Taking up full research studies based panel data
• Conducting labour market studies
• Conducting skill gap studies

An initiative of NIRDPR and Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)

The repository is being built under the CFLI project that aims to advance the economic rights of transgender and gender-diverse persons in India—particularly those from rural and peri-urban areas—by facilitating access to sustainable, wage-based livelihood opportunities. Through a comprehensive review of national and international livelihood models, enabling policies, and implementation frameworks, the project will identify gaps, challenges, and promising practices.

Community-driven insights gathered from regional consultations with transgender persons, CBOs, employers, and local governments will inform the design of inclusive, context specific solutions that bridge the disconnect between progressive legislation and lived employment realities.

Building on this foundation, the project is developing scalable and adaptable operational models, toolkits, and stakeholder frameworks to guide inclusive livelihood programs. It will generate evidence-based policy briefs and comparative tools to influence labour laws, CSR practices, and welfare schemes, while fostering collaboration among government agencies, industry, civil society, and community organizations. The project ensures sustainability through the development of publicly accessible, long-term-use resources that can be adopted by ministries, state governments, CSR partners, and skilling agencies. NIRDPR will promote continued adoption through its national training mandate, while Intermediary Organizations will support ongoing grassroots engagement and monitoring through its community networks.

Currently, as a part of the project, desk review and situation analysis, and field documentation of best practices are in progress.

CFLI team said: "Canada is proud to support NIRDPR through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), reflecting our shared commitment to inclusive development, gender equality, and sustainable, community-led solutions. We are pleased to partner with this initiative and commend their efforts to strengthen community engagement and resilience. Canada remains committed to working alongside local leaders to help build a more equitable and just future for local communities.""