Namda craft & Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

Why is in news? PMKVY 3.0 to help preserve & revive Namda craft of Kashmir

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 and its component, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for upskilling of artisans and weavers of Kashmir will tremendously help in preserving and reviving the Namda craft of Kashmir.

The RPL initiative targets to upskill around eleven thousand artisans and weavers of Jammu and Kashmir.

Namda craft is a rug made of sheep wool through the felting technique instead of the normal weaving process.

The Central Government through this special project under PMKVY, of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has designed a short-term training curriculum to preserve this endangered craft.

The Namda project will be an industry-based training program with beneficiaries involved in Namda Crafts Production who will contribute towards preserving and reviving the rich heritage associated with Namda craft in Kashmir.

This will also improve the access of existing artisans of Namda crafts cluster in Kashmir and will improve their prospects of employability.

The objective of these projects is to boost and preserve the traditional Namda craft of Kashmir and upskill the local weavers and artisans to enhance their productivity through RPL assessment and certification.

The vision of the Central Government is to revive and promote traditional and heritage skills and to give artisans support to make them economically sustainable.

The Government is also offering artisans exposure to the international markets so that the world becomes aware of the vibrant culture of Kashmir.

The programme will also focus on the skilling, upskilling, and reskilling of Kashmiri youth to create a ladder of career progression and make them strong pillars of Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana:

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implemented by National Skill Development Corporation launched in 2015.

The objective of this Skill Certification Scheme is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.

Individuals with prior learning experience or skills will also be assessed and certified under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Eligibility: In line with the scheme objectives, the scheme is applicable to any candidate of Indian nationality who: an unemployed youth, college / school dropout, Has a verifiable identity proof - Aadhaar / Voter idand a bank account.

PMKVY is a skill training scheme that was started to offer industry-related skills to about 10 million young Indians, between 2016 and 2020.