Serious administrative and systemic shortcomings have been flagged in the implementation of the Centre’s flagship skills training programme, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found instances of patently invalid bank account numbers—such as ‘11111111111’—being recorded, the same photograph being used for multiple beneficiaries, training centres found closed during inspections, and delays in payments to millions of certified candidates.
The CAG report was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The findings carry particular weight as PMKVY has been a cornerstone of the government’s efforts to address youth unemployment. Official data indicate that the unemployment rate among those aged 15–29 stood at around 15 per cent in May 2025.
Audit of three phases between 2015 and 2022
According to the report, PMKVY was implemented in three phases—2015–16, 2016–20 and 2021–22—with a combined outlay of approximately ₹14,450 crore. The scheme aimed to provide training and certification to 1.32 crore candidates, of whom 1.1 crore were certified. However, the audit points to substantial inconsistencies in data quality, payment processes and monitoring mechanisms across phases.
Widespread irregularities in bank account data
Analysing beneficiary bank details recorded on the Skill India Portal (SIP), the CAG found that under PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0, 94.53 per cent of cases had bank account fields that were either blank, marked ‘Null’/‘N/A’, or filled with zeros. Among the remaining records, 12,122 bank account numbers were found to be repeated for at least 52,381 candidates.
The report further notes that several entries were clearly invalid—such as ‘11111111111’, ‘123456’, single-digit numbers, or fields populated with text, names or special characters. Such deficiencies, the CAG said, do not provide “adequate assurance” regarding the identity of scheme participants.
Significant delays in DBT payments
In its response to the audit in May 2023, the Ministry stated that bank details were initially mandatory on the SIP but later made non-mandatory due to implementation challenges, with payments to be routed via Aadhaar-seeded Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). However, the CAG’s analysis shows that in 2023, DBT payments were processed for only 25.58 per cent of certified candidates, with successful payouts in just 18.44 per cent of cases.
As of October 2024, out of 95.91 lakh certified candidates, 63.75 per cent had received DBT payments. This leaves over 3.4 million certified candidates still awaiting payment, despite the relevant PMKVY phases having formally concluded.
Gaps in beneficiary outreach and field verification
An online beneficiary survey conducted by the CAG recorded an email delivery failure rate of 36.51 per cent. Even where emails were delivered, responses were received from only a small fraction of recipients, with a significant number originating from the same email ID or from training partners and centres—raising concerns over the reliability of feedback mechanisms.
Field inspections revealed additional discrepancies. In Bihar, for instance, several training centres were found closed, even as SIP data indicated training was scheduled on the inspection dates. The audit also flagged cases in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan where identical photographs were submitted as evidence for multiple beneficiaries.
Questions over ‘Best-in-Class’ certification
The CAG further observed instances where skills certification was issued by employers who did not meet the scheme’s criteria for being classified as ‘Best-in-Class’. This, the report noted, raises concerns about the quality and industry relevance of certifications awarded under PMKVY.
Ministry’s response
Responding to the findings, the Ministry said it has since significantly strengthened the scheme, introducing technology-enabled monitoring, Aadhaar-authenticated e-KYC, face authentication, geo-tagged attendance, and QR-coded digital certificates. It added that oversight has been reinforced through the Skill India Digital Hub and Kaushal Samiksha Kendra, alongside enhanced inspections, a defined penalty framework and disciplinary action against non-compliant entities.
Broader questions on policy execution
While the Ministry has outlined corrective measures, the CAG report underscores that without robust data integrity, payment transparency and ground-level verification, the actual outcomes of large public expenditure programmes like PMKVY remain open to question. Experts caution that unless these foundational gaps are addressed promptly, the risk of eroding trust and inefficient use of resources in a critical policy area such as skill development will persist.
