Pradhan Mantri Virasat ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)

What is Pradhan Mantri Virasat ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)?

Pradhan Mantri Virasat ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a skilling, entrepreneurship and leadership scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. According to the Ministry, PM VIKAS focuses on the skilling, entrepreneurship, leadership and education needs of the notified minority communities and, in particular, artisan families, with the goal of raising their incomes and improving their livelihoods.

PM VIKAS is a merged and restructured scheme that consolidated several earlier Ministry of Minority Affairs programmes; covering skill development, leadership and entrepreneurship for women, artisan support and education: into a single scheme. It is implemented in convergence with the Skill India Mission of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and integrated with the Skill India Portal (SIP).

According to the Ministry, the scheme aims to benefit approximately 9 lakh people over the 15th Finance Commission cycle.

What are the components and benefits of PM VIKAS?

PM VIKAS is delivered through four components:

1. Skilling and Training, market-linked skill courses (both non-traditional and traditional). The traditional-training sub-component covers need-based courses for minority artisan communities and their family members engaged in traditional arts, crafts and languishing art forms.
2. Leadership and Entrepreneurship; including women leadership training. According to the scheme, it aims to cover around 2 lakh women for a 60-hour leadership programme, with about 10,000 women taking a longer 240-hour course to become business correspondents ("Biz Sakhis").
3. Education. A bridge programme for school dropouts from minority and artisan communities, aiming to benefit around 1 lakh youth.
4. Infrastructure Development — a 'Hub and Spoke' model built around Art and Craft villages called 'Vishwakarma villages', model villages that showcase and promote local arts and crafts and link them with tourism and commerce.

Benefits to a trainee typically include stipends during training, certification, and linkages to employment, credit and markets. PM VIKAS is a skilling scheme, not a fixed cash-transfer scheme, so the exact support depends on the course and component; the amounts are set within the scheme's operational norms and the training agency's course package.

Who is eligible for PM VIKAS?

You may apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen belonging to a notified minority community; Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs, as notified under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• You fall within the age and course criteria of the specific training programme you want to join.
• For the traditional-skills component, you are an artisan or a member of an artisan family engaged in the relevant craft.

The scheme has special provisions for women, economically weaker sections (EWS), and persons with disabilities (PwDs).

You cannot apply if:

• You do not belong to a notified minority community. The scheme is restricted to those communities, so others are not eligible.
• You do not meet the age or entry requirements of the particular course.

What documents are required?

Exact documentation depends on the course and the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) running it.

How to apply for PM VIKAS

PM VIKAS is delivered through empanelled training agencies and the Skill India ecosystem, so the application runs through those channels:

1. Visit the PM VIKAS portal at pmvikas.minorityaffairs.gov.in or the Skill India Portal, and check the eligibility and available courses.
2. Find an empanelled Project Implementing Agency (PIA) running a PM VIKAS course in your area and in the trade you want to learn.
3. Register and enrol with the PIA / on the portal, providing your minority community proof, Aadhaar and bank details.
4. Complete the training: attending the course and any assessment, during which the applicable stipend is provided.
5. Obtain certification and access post-training support, such as placement, toolkits, and credit/market linkages, depending on the component.

Because courses are run by empanelled PIAs, the local PIA or the Ministry's minority affairs office is the practical first point of contact for enrolment.

Where to get help

PM VIKAS is administered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, with the scheme portal at pmvikas.minorityaffairs.gov.in and further information on minorityaffairs.gov.in. Because the scheme is integrated with the Skill India Portal and delivered through empanelled agencies, prospective trainees should confirm current course availability, stipend terms and enrolment steps with a local Project Implementing Agency or the Ministry's minority affairs office before applying, as course offerings vary by location and cycle.