Apprenticeship training in India, governed by the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the rules framed there under, serves as a cornerstone for skill development through industry-led, on-the-job training. The Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC), constituted under the Act, plays a pivotal role in shaping national apprenticeship policies, aligning vocational training with industry demands, and expanding opportunities across diverse sectors of the economy.The38th meeting of the CAC, held on26th May 2025, marked a significant step forward in modernizing the country’s apprenticeship ecosystem. Among the key decisions taken was a 36% increase in apprentice stipends, with a provision for future revisions to be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The recommendation of the CAC has been taken into consideration by the Government, and the process for amending the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 has been initiated for notification in the Official Gazette. The revised stipend structure will apply to all apprentices engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961, including those in emerging sectors such as Information Technology, Tele communications, Bio technology, and Renewable Energy.

The Ministry is actively working to strengthen training infrastructure and promote artificial intelligence (AI) skill development through the Directorate General of Training (DGT), the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and flagship initiatives such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0). As part of this effort, a self-learning micro-module titled ‘AI for Entrepreneurship’, available on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), has seen 23,163 enrolments since its launch in December 2024, with 11,089 participants certified so far. SIDH is a mobile-first digital public infrastructure (DPI) that integrates Skill India and Digital India initiatives.

Under PMKVY 4.0, a total of 34,709 individuals have been trained in AI-related job roles such as Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, and DevOps Engineer, among others. Additionally, apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, 1961, allows establishments with four or more workers to offer AI-related on-the-job learning opportunities. Under NAPS-2, 1,480 apprentices have been engaged in eight AI-related trades between FY 2023–24 and FY 2025–26 (as of June 30, 2025). Further enhancing foundational AI training, a new Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) trade titled Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant has been launched from the 2024–25 session across 19 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), with an annual intake capacity of 504 students.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Manish Gautam /Shahbaz Hasibi

 

(Release ID: 2146571)