Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana (PM-DAKSH)

What is PM-DAKSH?

Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana (PM-DAKSH) is a Central Sector scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, launched in 2020-21 to provide free skill training to India's most marginalised social groups. PM-DAKSH translates as "Prime Minister's scheme for skilled and competent beneficiaries", and the whole design rests on one idea: training that ends in a job or a viable self-employment venture, not just a certificate.

According to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the entire cost of training under PM-DAKSH is borne by the government through grant-in-aid to the Ministry's development corporations. A trainee pays nothing. On top of free training, PM-DAKSH pays a monthly stipend during the course period and issues an NSQF-aligned certificate on successful assessment.

Key objectives

• Raise the employability of people from SC, OBC, EWS, De-notified Tribe and safai karamchari backgrounds through certified skill training.
• Move sanitation workers and waste pickers into safer, better-paid occupations through up-skilling and Recognition of Prior Learning.
• Support self-employment by running Entrepreneurship Development Programmes for candidates who already hold a skill.
• Increase household income by linking trained candidates to placement.

Main features

• 100% Central Sector funding, no state share and no trainee contribution.
• Age band of 18 to 45 years across all target groups.
• Four training tracks, from a one-month RPL course to a one-year long-term course.
• Delivery through three corporations: NSFDC, NBCFDC and NSKFDC.
• Aadhaar-based attendance and an online monitoring system on the PM-DAKSH portal and mobile app.

Who is eligible for PM-DAKSH?

You can enrol if you are aged 18 to 45 years and fall in one of these groups:

• Scheduled Castes, no income ceiling.
• Safai karamcharis, including waste pickers and their dependants; no income ceiling.
• De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, no income ceiling.
• Other Backward Classes with annual family income up to Rs 3 lakh.
• Economically Weaker Sections. NBCFDC's scheme flyer records a lower ceiling for the Economically Backward Class category it funds, so check the ceiling that applies to your certificate before you register.
• Transgender persons, who are covered as a target group and are also routed to PM-DAKSH through the SMILE scheme.

You cannot apply if:

• You are below 18 or above 45 years of age.
• You do not belong to any notified target group, PM-DAKSH is not a general open-to-all skilling scheme, unlike Skill India Digital Hub.
• You are an OBC or EWS applicant whose family income exceeds the ceiling stated on your income certificate category.
• You cannot produce a caste, tribe, EWS or occupation certificate from the competent authority. Self-declaration is not accepted.
• You are already enrolled in another centrally funded skill course for the same job role.

What documents are required for PM-DAKSH?

How to apply for PM-DAKSH online

1. Open the official portal at pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in, or install the PM-DAKSH mobile app.
2. Select Candidate Registration and enter your name, date of birth, mobile number and Aadhaar number.
3. Verify the OTP sent to your mobile number and set your login credentials.
4. Complete your profile — target category (SC, OBC, EWS, DNT, safai karamchari or transgender), education, address and bank account details.
5. Upload scanned copies of your Aadhaar, caste or EWS certificate, income certificate where applicable, photograph and bank passbook.
6. Browse the available training programmes filtered by your state, district and sector, and select a course and training centre.
7. Submit the application and note the registration number shown on screen.
8. Wait for the training institute to verify your documents and confirm your batch. Confirmation comes by SMS and email to your registered contacts.

How to apply for PM-DAKSH offline

1. Visit an empanelled training centre of NSFDC, NBCFDC or NSKFDC in your district, or the district office of your state's SC/OBC development corporation.
2. Ask for the PM-DAKSH candidate registration form and fill it in.
3. Submit self-attested copies of Aadhaar, caste or EWS certificate, income certificate where required, and bank passbook.
4. Complete Aadhaar verification at the centre and collect the acknowledgement with your candidate ID.

How much benefit does PM-DAKSH provide?

PM-DAKSH provides its benefit as free training rather than a cash transfer. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment confirms that 100% of the training cost is met from grant-in-aid, covering trainer fees, course material, assessment and certification.

On top of that, PM-DAKSH pays a stipend during training. According to the scheme guidelines, non-residential trainees who maintain at least 80% attendance in short-term and long-term training receive a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month. Residential trainees are provided free boarding and lodging instead of a cash stipend, since their living costs are already met. Up-skilling and Recognition of Prior Learning courses for safai karamcharis carry a wage-loss compensation rather than a regular stipend, recognising the days of earnings lost during training. Because figures are revised from time to time, confirm the current stipend on the course page before enrolling.

What training courses does PM-DAKSH offer?

PM-DAKSH runs four distinct tracks:

• Up-skilling and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): short courses of up to about one month for safai karamcharis and waste pickers who already work in the trade, ending with formal certification of existing skills.
• Short-Term Training: typically two to five months in sectors such as tailoring, apparel, food processing, beauty and wellness, retail, electronics and healthcare, mapped to National Occupational Standards.
• Entrepreneurship Development Programmes: compact courses of roughly 10 to 15 days for candidates who already hold a skill and want to start a micro enterprise, covering costing, book-keeping, licensing and credit linkage.
• Long-Term Training, six months to one year in higher-value trades where employers demand deeper competence.

Courses follow National Occupational Standards and Qualification Packs, so the certificate is portable across employers and states.

How to check your PM-DAKSH application status

1. Log in to pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in with your registered mobile number and OTP.
2. Open the candidate dashboard to see your application state, registered, verified, batch allotted, or in training.
3. Contact the training institute listed against your application if the status stays at "registered" for more than a few weeks.
4. If the institute does not respond, call the PM-DAKSH helpline on 1800-110-396.

Common reasons PM-DAKSH applications are rejected

• Caste or EWS certificate not in the prescribed format or issued by an authority that is not competent under state rules.
• Income above the ceiling for OBC and EWS applicants.
• Age outside 18-45 on the date of registration.
• Aadhaar name mismatch with the caste certificate or bank account.
• No batch running in your district for the chosen job role, in which case the application lapses rather than being formally rejected.
• Duplicate enrolment in another centrally funded skilling scheme for the same job role.

Help and grievance redressal

• PM-DAKSH helpline: 1800-110-396 or 011-26382479
• NSFDC (Scheduled Castes): support-nsfdc@nic.in
• NSKFDC (safai karamcharis and waste pickers): nskfdc-msje@nic.in
• Grievance section on pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in for written complaints against a training institute

PM-DAKSH registration and training are free. No training partner may charge a candidate an admission fee, a certification fee or a "seat booking" amount, and any such demand should be reported through the portal's grievance section.