PMKVY RPL Statistics: Workers Trained and Certified Year by Year
· 2 min read · 1 official source
More than 64 lakh people were trained under Recognition of Prior Learning in 37 sectors from 2015 to 31 March 2022, according to a Skill India booklet published through PIB. Certification peaked at 20.71 lakh in 2020-21. The year-wise trained and certified counts and special RPL tracks are below.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana - Recognition of Prior Learning (PMKVY RPL): key numbers
Infographic
RPL candidates trained and certified by year (FY 2016-17 to 2021-22)
Candidates trained and certified under RPL in the central (CSCM) and state (CSSM) components of PMKVY, from the data labels of the chart in the Skill India RPL booklet. 74 K certified in 2016-17 is shown as 0.74 lakh. In some years more were certified than trained, because candidates trained in one year were certified the next.
| Financial year | Trained (lakh) | Certified (lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 1.71 | 0.74 |
| 2017-18 | 5.16 | 4.38 |
| 2018-19 | 9.58 | 5.58 |
| 2019-20 | 31.8 | 19.09 |
| 2020-21 | 13.31 | 20.71 |
| 2021-22 | 2.16 | 1.96 |
Source: static.pib.gov.in, as on 31 March 2022
How RPL certification works
What the numbers show
Recognition of Prior Learning certifies skills that workers already have, so a mason, tailor or electrician who learnt on the job can get a recognised certificate. According to a Skill India booklet on RPL, published through PIB in April 2022, more than 64 lakh people were trained under RPL across 37 sectors between 2015 and 31 March 2022.
The trend over the years
The booklet's chart gives trained and certified counts for each financial year from 2016-17 to 2021-22. Numbers rose quickly from 1.71 lakh trained in 2016-17 to 31.8 lakh trained in 2019-20, the peak year. Certification lagged behind training and peaked a year later, at 20.71 lakh in 2020-21, when more people were certified than trained because many of the previous year's candidates were assessed then. In 2021-22 the numbers dropped sharply, to 2.16 lakh trained and 1.96 lakh certified.
Special RPL tracks
Several tracks target specific groups. Under RPL with Best-in-Class Employers (RPL-BICE), companies get their own staff assessed; more than 13 lakh workers had been certified this way. More than 69,000 artisans and workers, including weavers, were certified in craft job roles, and over 60,000 armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen near retirement were certified so their skills count in civilian jobs.
What the figures do not tell you
The year-wise chart covers the central (CSCM) and state (CSSM) components of PMKVY, as the booklet notes, so compare it with the 64 lakh total with care. The booklet counts people trained and certified, not people who found a job or got a higher wage afterwards. The year-wise figures come from the data labels on a chart, and the booklet does not publish them as a separate table.
Where to check for updates
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Skill India Digital Hub publish PMKVY progress. Recent PIB releases and Parliament replies mostly report PMKVY as a whole, combining short-term training and RPL, so check whether a figure is RPL-only before comparing it with this series.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have been certified under PMKVY RPL?
The Skill India RPL booklet published through PIB in April 2022 says more than 64 lakh beneficiaries were trained under RPL in 37 sectors from 2015 to 31 March 2022. Its year-wise chart shows certification peaking at 20.71 lakh in 2020-21.
Why did RPL numbers fall in 2021-22?
Only 2.16 lakh were trained and 1.96 lakh certified in 2021-22, against 31.8 lakh trained in 2019-20. The booklet does not give a reason for the fall.
What is RPL-BICE?
RPL with Best-in-Class Employers lets companies get their own workers assessed and certified. More than 13 lakh candidates had been certified under RPL-BICE by April 2022.
Are there special RPL tracks for artisans and ex-servicemen?
Yes. More than 69,000 artisans and workers and over 60,000 armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen had been certified under RPL by April 2022, according to the booklet.
Is there newer RPL-only data?
Recent PIB releases give PMKVY totals that combine short-term training and RPL. The April 2022 booklet is the latest official source with a year-wise RPL-only series that we could find.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana - Recognition of Prior Learning (PMKVY RPL) full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- static.pib.gov.in (static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2022/apr/doc202242548301.)