"Training in Silk" Component of the "Development of Silk" Scheme

What is the Training in Silk component of the Development of Silk scheme?

Training in Silk is a component of the Development of Silk scheme run by the District Industries Centre under the Department of Industries and Commerce, Union Territory of Puducherry. The stated objective is to develop silk and silk-based industry in Puducherry, to train rural youth in silk weaving, and to generate employment through that skill. The component offers a comprehensive one-year training and pays the trainee a monthly stipend of Rs 1,500.

Puducherry's silk weaving base is small compared with neighbouring Tamil Nadu, and the department's approach through the Development of Silk scheme has been to work on three fronts at once: train new weavers, support the societies that market what they weave, and reduce the cost of setting up a loom. Training in Silk is the first of those three.

The three components of the Development of Silk scheme

What does the Training in Silk component pay?

For trainees

• A monthly stipend of Rs 1,500 for the duration of the one-year training. Over twelve months that is Rs 18,000.

For the master trainer

• An honorarium of Rs 500 per trainee per month, subject to a ceiling of Rs 5,000 a month.
• A compensation of Rs 500 per trainee per month for raw materials, subject to a ceiling of Rs 5,000 a month.

The two ceilings together mean a master trainer handling ten trainees receives up to Rs 10,000 a month, and taking more than ten trainees does not increase the payment.

Who is eligible for the silk weaving training?

You can apply if:

• Your age is between 18 and 35 years.
• You are literate. The scheme does not prescribe a minimum standard beyond literacy, which keeps it open to rural applicants who left school early.
• You are a native of the Union Territory of Puducherry, or have been a continuous resident of the area for three years.
• You have not already been trained under this scheme.

You cannot apply if:

• You are below 18 or above 35 years of age.
• You are not a native of Puducherry and have not lived there continuously for three years.
• You are not literate.
• You have already undergone training under this scheme. The training is a one-time benefit per person.

The condition against repeat training matters in practice. The District Industries Centre runs several parallel training schemes; in handicrafts, in coir, in-plant training, and advanced or high skill training, and a person who has completed the silk training cannot repeat it, though the other schemes have their own separate eligibility.

What documents are required?

Attach self-attested copies, and carry the originals when submitting in person so the receiving officer can verify them.

How to apply for Training in Silk offline

1. Print the prescribed application form for the Development of Silk scheme from the District Industries Centre website.
2. Fill in every mandatory field, paste a passport-sized photograph and sign across it, and attach self-attested copies of the age proof, residence proof, qualification certificate, Aadhaar and bank passbook.
3. Visit the Project Manager, District Industries Centre, Thattanchavady, Puducherry 605009, on a working day during office hours, and submit the signed form with the documents.
4. Collect the unique number assigned to you. On receipt of the application, the office makes an entry in the application receipt register and assigns a unique number that identifies the applicant. That number is both your acknowledgement and the reference for every later query.

How to apply for Training in Silk online

1. Open the e-District portal of the Government of Puducherry.
2. Click Login at the top right, then Register a New Membership, and fill the registration page, username, password, full name, email address, address, gender, date of birth and mobile number; accept the declaration, enter the captcha and click Signup.
3. Log in with the username and password and the captcha.
4. The portal lists schemes of the Government of Puducherry department-wise. Open the Industries and Commerce or District Industries Centre listing and select the Development of Silk scheme.
5. Fill every mandatory field in the online form and upload the mandatory documents, self-attested where required.
6. Tick the declaration that the details given are true and correct, submit the application, and note the application number. The number is also sent to the registered mobile number and email ID.

How to check the status of the application

For an online application, log back in to the e-District portal and use the application tracking option with the application number received on submission. For an offline application, quote the unique number entered in the application receipt register when you contact the District Industries Centre.

Why applications are rejected

• Age outside the 18 to 35 band on the date of application.
• Residence not established. A candidate who is not a native must show continuous residence in the area for three years, and a recent address proof alone does not do that.
• Already trained under the scheme, which the District Industries Centre checks against its own trainee records.
• Incomplete form or missing self-attestation on the enclosures.
• No bank account, which makes the monthly stipend impossible to pay.

Key dates

The District Industries Centre has not published a fixed annual last date for the Training in Silk component. Batches are notified as they are formed, so the practical advice is to watch the dic.py.gov.in notice board and the local dailies, and to register on the e-District portal in advance so that a form can be filed quickly when a batch is announced. For comparison, the Centre's In-Plant Training scheme follows a fixed calendar, applications in January, advertisement in December, training starting in July — which shows how firmly these calendars can be set once a batch cycle is fixed.

Whom to contact

• General Manager, District Industries Centre, Industrial Estate, Thattanchavady, Puducherry 605009 to phone +91-413-2248987, 2248391, 2249392.
• Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Industrial Estate, Thattanchavady, Puducherry 605009 to phone +91-413-2248476, 2248168, 2248320.
• Functional Manager, District Industries Centre, Rural Industrial Estate, Kottucherry, Karaikal 609609 to phone +91-4368-266467.
• Technical Officer, Civil Station, Yanam 533464: phone +91-884-2321257.
• Technical Officer, Civil Station, Mahe 673310.
• Email: dic.pon@nic.in.

There is no fee for applying for the training, and no intermediary is authorised to collect money for securing a training seat or a stipend.