The Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet in Madhya Pradesh, on Wednesday, gave its approval to an ambitious ‘Mukhyamantri Sikho-Kamao Yojana’ (CM Earn-Learn Scheme) that aims to provide employment-oriented skill training to about a lakh youth initially. These youth will also be given monthly stipends during the training period.
A special cabinet meeting was held to approve the scheme at the home office of the chief minister. The scheme, which was earlier named ‘Kaushal-Kamai Yojana’ was renamed ‘Sikho-Kamao Yojana’ during the meeting.
The registration for establishments that will provide the stipend-based skill training will start from June 7 and the registration of youth seeking such training will start from June 15.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Chouhan said the scheme will give the youth of Madhya Pradesh an opportunity to learn skills they require for the jobs they like and a chance to make some money during the period. “Revolution of social change is taking place in Madhya Pradesh, in which the participation of youth is important. We are providing employment opportunities to the youth in the form of government jobs and also making every possible effort to connect them with self-employment,” he said.
“There is no lack of skill in the youth; they just need to be given proper direction. It is our duty to make the youth of the state capable and empowered so that the efforts towards self-reliant Madhya Pradesh gain momentum. We feel that the youth should not get limited to taking up jobs, rather build the capacity to give employment to others. Thus, we will not only impart requisite skills to the young citizens, but also give them money during the training period.”
‘Unemployment allowance no solution’
Chouhan further said that merely giving unemployment allowance is not the solution to the problem and it is unfair to the aspirations and future of the youth. “The Kamal Nath-led Congress government had promised unemployment allowance but failed to provide it when in power. In the name of employment, they offered training to herd cattle and play drums.”
Both the BJP governments at Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state are serious in their efforts in this regard, the CM said. The PM distributed 71,000 appointment letters for government jobs on May 16 and the process of recruitment into one lakh government posts is ongoing in Madhya Pradesh. Also, about 2.5 lakh self-employment opportunities are being provided to youth by organizing ‘Rozgar Divas’ (unemployment day) every month.
During the presentation on the new scheme at the cabinet meeting, it was mentioned that the contacts with establishments providing training to the youth and the government will be inked from July 31, and the youth will start working/get training from August 1. The first monthly stipend will come on August 31.
Youth, who are domiciled in Madhya Pradesh and are between the ages of 18 to 29, with a minimum educational qualification of Class XII or ITI (industrial training), will be eligible for the scheme. After the training, the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) certificate will be given by the Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development and Employment Generation Board (MPSSDEGB) to those who pass.
Stipend between Rs 8,000-10,000
Under the scheme, trainees who passed Class XII will be given a monthly stipend of Rs 8,000, ITI passed – Rs 8,500, diploma passed – Rs 9,000 and graduate or higher qualified trainees will get stipends of Rs 10,000 per month. The state government will pay 75 per cent of the stipend to the beneficiaries directly, while the establishments concerned will have to deposit the other 25 per cent to the bank accounts of the trainees.
703 work areas identified for training
In all, 703 work areas have been identified for training in the scheme. For this, establishments related to the manufacturing sector, engineering, electrical, mechanical, civil, management, marketing, hotel management, tourism, travel, hospital, railway, IT sector, software development, banking, insurance, accountancy, chartered accountant and other financial services will be linked. Establishments working in media, art, law and legal services, education-training and service sectors will also be included in the scheme. Workshops will be held between May 22 to June 6 in Pune, Bengaluru and Noida to link key establishments with the scheme. Also, activities/workshops will be conducted at the divisional and district level from June 1 to 14 for the purpose of giving information about the scheme. The scheme will be implemented by an empowered committee constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary of the state.
