Craftsman Training Scheme - Maharashtra

What is the Craftsman Training Scheme in Maharashtra?

Craftsman Training Scheme is the Industrial Training Institute programme through which the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET), under the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Maharashtra, trains young people in skilled trades. The scheme was introduced nationally in 1950; the day-to-day administration of ITIs was transferred to state governments from 1956, and Maharashtra has implemented it as a state-run programme since 1969.

According to DVET's own scheme page, Maharashtra operates 419 government ITIs with 93,516 seats and oversees 585 private ITIs with 58,088 seats, teaching 85 trades; 54 engineering and 31 non-engineering. For the 2026 admission cycle DVET reported a combined 1,57,664 seats across 1,004 institutes. The government network includes specialised categories: tribal ITIs, women-only ITIs and defence-linked institutes.

The stated objectives of the scheme are to ensure a steady supply of skilled workers in different trades for industry, and to reduce unemployment among educated youth by giving them a practical, employable skill rather than another general certificate. That intent shows up in the course design: DVET describes the training as roughly 70 per cent practical and 30 per cent theory, with a duration of one or two years depending on the trade.

Key features

• 85 trades to 54 engineering, 31 non-engineering.
• One-year and two-year course durations.
• 70 per cent practical, 30 per cent theory.
• 1,004 ITIs in Maharashtra, government and private.
• Minimum age 14 years, with no upper age limit.
• 30 per cent of seats reserved for women in general ITIs.
• Rs 500 per month stipend for eligible government ITI trainees.
• Ends in a National Trade Certificate after the All India Trade Test.

Who is eligible for ITI admission under the Craftsman Training Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are at least 14 years old. DVET sets no upper age limit, so adults returning to training are eligible.
• You have passed the entry qualification for the trade you want; class 10 for most engineering trades, class 8 for several non-engineering trades.
• You are domiciled in Maharashtra, for state-quota seats. Candidates from outside the state may apply but at a higher registration fee.
• You can complete Aadhaar and mobile OTP verification on the admission portal, which the 2026 cycle made compulsory.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You are below 14 years of age on the cut-off date.
• You have not passed the minimum class required by the trade, a class 8 pass candidate cannot claim a class-10-entry engineering trade.
• You want to apply offline. Admission runs through the centralised online process; there is no walk-in admission route into the regular CTS seats.
• You try to submit more than one application on one mobile number, DVET allows only one application per mobile number.
• You miss the annual window. Admission is a fixed-calendar centralised process, not a rolling one.

For the Rs 500 monthly stipend specifically, two extra conditions apply. According to the state government resolution dated 13 September 2023, the trainee must be domiciled in Maharashtra and the annual family income must not exceed Rs 8 lakh. The stipend was extended from the 2023-24 session to trainees of all categories at government ITIs: open, OBC, SBC, EWS, VJ-A/DT, NT-B, NT-C, NT-D, SC and ST.

What does it cost?

Private ITI fees are set institute by institute and are substantially higher than government ITI fees. DVET also runs a Vocational Training Fee Reimbursement Scheme, which is worth checking on dvet.gov.in before assuming private ITI fees have to be paid entirely out of pocket.

What documents are required?

How to apply for ITI admission in Maharashtra

1. Open the centralised admission portal at admission.dvet.gov.in when the annual window opens. For 2026 the portal went live on 21 May 2026.
2. Complete online registration with your name, class 10 or class 8 details and mobile number. Only one application per mobile number is permitted.
3. Verify your Aadhaar details and mobile number by OTP. Aadhaar verification was introduced as a portal feature in the 2026 cycle.
4. Upload documents, marksheet, date of birth proof, photograph, signature, and caste, domicile or income certificates if you are claiming them.
5. Pay the registration fee online. The 2026 cycle added a UPI scanner alongside the other online payment modes. The fee is Rs 150 unreserved, Rs 100 reserved, Rs 300 out of state and Rs 500 NRI.
6. Confirm the application online and wait for application verification. In 2026 verification ran until 22 June.
7. Fill the option form, listing your preferred trades and institutes in order. The 2026 preference window ran from 1 to 23 June.
8. Check the provisional merit list, raise any correction, and then check the final merit list. In 2026 these were dated 25 June and 28 June.
9. Report to the allotted ITI with original documents and pay the course fee within the reporting window to confirm admission.

What are the key dates?

DVET runs an annual calendar, and the 2026 cycle is a good guide to the shape of it, though the exact dates change every year:

• 21 May 2026, centralised online admission portal opened.
• 1 June 2026 — last date to submit the online application form.
• 1 to 23 June 2026, trade and institute preference window.
• 22 June 2026, application verification completed.
• 25 June 2026; provisional merit list.
• 28 June 2026; final merit list.

Always confirm the current year's dates on admission.dvet.gov.in rather than working from a previous cycle. The centralised process does not accept late applications once the window shuts, and a missed date means waiting a full year.

How to check your ITI admission status

1. Log in to admission.dvet.gov.in with the credentials created at registration.
2. Check the application status to confirm your form has been verified rather than merely submitted.
3. Open the provisional merit list and check your name, marks and category entries carefully: corrections are only accepted between the provisional and final lists.
4. After the final merit list, check the allotment result for the trade and institute assigned.
5. The 2026 cycle added WhatsApp messaging for admission updates, so keep the registered mobile number active.

Why ITI applications fail, and how to avoid it

• Wrong trade choice for the qualification held. Check whether the trade needs class 10 or class 8 before locking your preference list.
• Too few preferences filled. A short option list is the commonest reason a candidate with decent marks gets no allotment at all; list many trades and institutes, not just the popular ones.
• Fee not paid, so the application never becomes live. Submission alone does not complete the process.
• Aadhaar or mobile OTP verification not completed.
• Second application on the same mobile number, which the portal blocks.
• Category claimed without a valid certificate uploaded, which drops the candidate to the open merit list.
• Failing to report to the allotted ITI within the reporting window, which releases the seat to the next candidate.

What happens after the training?

Trainees who pass the All India Trade Test receive the National Trade Certificate. From there, DVET identifies three routes: direct employment in industry, apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, 1961, and self-employment. Maharashtra also runs the Artizen to Technocrat initiative through DVET for trainees who want to progress further, and trainees taking admission through the centralised process are eligible for the seats available under the Public Private Partnership scheme in government ITIs and for seats in private ITIs, subject to the other eligibility conditions.

Where to get help

• DVET Maharashtra: dvet.gov.in; scheme details, trade lists and institute directory
• Admission portal: admission.dvet.gov.in, registration, merit lists, allotment and grievance
• Academics portal: academics.dvet.gov.in
• Local route: the Principal of the government ITI in your taluka or district, who handles admission queries and document verification in person

Applying costs only the notified registration fee, paid online to the department. No agent or coaching centre can secure an ITI seat outside the centralised merit process, and any promise of a guaranteed seat for a payment is a fraud.