PAC Blames Guj Govt For 14-Year Delay In Skill Devp Policy

The Gujarat Skill Development Mission (GSDM) was established in 2009 to create an integrated action plan for skill development. A steering committee comprising officials from multiple departments was later formed to collaborate on a uniform policy. However, despite these efforts, no policy was formulated.

When the issue was raised before the legislative Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the government issued a directive for immediate policy formulation. However, the Labour, Skill Development, and Employment Department failed to act, leading to severe criticism from both the PAC and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. By 2023, the department officially admitted in writing that no such policy had been implemented.

In place of the long-pending policy, the government launched the Chief Minister Skill Development Initiative (MSDI) in 2023, aiming to train 5,00,000 youth through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), private skill institutes, and industries.

A state-level steering committee under the Chief Secretary was also formed to coordinate skill development efforts across departments. Additionally, a monitoring committee, led by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Labour and Employment Department, was set up to oversee GSDM’s activities. Currently, eight government departments are engaged in skill training programs.

Despite these alternative measures, the PAC criticised the government for neglecting the structured implementation of a skill development policy, resulting in a lack of cohesive training programmes for youth. Senior officials cited administrative hurdles but highlighted the establishment of a Skill University and the GSDM as part of their commitment to skill development through industry collaboration and PPP projects.

PAC Chairman Jitendra Vaghani emphasised the urgent need to introduce modern training courses under the PPP model to ensure the youth receive relevant, industry-aligned skills. When questioned about the delay, a senior Labour Department official stated that with the establishment of the Skill University and the GSDM, a separate skill development policy was no longer deemed necessary.

While the government continues to push forward with skill training initiatives, the PAC’s concerns highlight the importance of a structured and comprehensive policy to systematically develop a skilled workforce in the state.