SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME AS A MECHANISM FOR ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF GIRLS: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DDUGKY PROGRAMME OF ODISHA
https://doi.org/10.65725/RPSET/1/3/004
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY (RPSET)
Volume 1 Issue 3, July – September 2026
Abstract:
The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) is a flagship placement-linked skill development programme of India’s Ministry of Rural Development, launched on 25th September 2014. It seeks to transform rural poor youth into skilled, employable workers to enhance their income opportunities & support national development initiatives. The DDU-GKY in Odisha is implemented under the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department through the Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), with the objective of improving employability by giving placement opportunity & increase income levels of rural youths by providing demand-driven, placement -linked skill training. The programme has created opportunities for rural youths, especially young women, to acquire vocational skills, secure employment, and improve their standard of living. Most respondents experienced positive changes in their personal, social, and economic lives. Economically, the girls became financially independent and started contributing to their family income after getting training & placement under the DDUGKY programme. Socially, the training and work exposure enhanced girls’ communication skills, confidence level, professional skills, decision-making ability, and social participation. However, the study also identified certain challenges faced by the respondents during training & after placement. Since many placements were outside Odisha, several girls experienced difficulties in adjusting to a new environment. Even though these challenges existed, the findings of the study clearly indicate that the benefits of skill training and employment outweighed the hardships faced by the respondents. The majority of girls expressed satisfaction in becoming independent, skilled, and employed rather than remaining unemployed in their villages.
Authors: Anita Jagdeb, Dr Aliva Mohanty
Keywords: DDU-GKY, Make in India, Vocational Education, Demand-driven Training.