The Ministry of Rural Development will launch the second phase of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY 2.0) across most States and Union Territories starting October 2026. The scheme provides skill training linked to job placement for poor rural youth. An initial 34,920 young people from 14 states will begin training in October through 1,164 batches.
Key Details of the Rollout
The first phase covers 14 States and UTs: Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana and Bihar. These states have a target to train 3,57,112 rural youth by 31 December 2027.
Training duration ranges from three to twelve months depending on the course. All 31 participating States and UTs have been allocated targets for the two-year period from 2026 to 2028. So far, more than 5.6 lakh targets have been distributed across over 1,200 projects, with 24 states having already completed their allocations.
States must finalise allocation of targets to Project Implementing Agencies by 31 October 2026. The Ministry is conducting regional workshops in hybrid format across four cities during October: Shillong (5 October), Vijayawada (7 October), Mumbai (9 October) and Dharamshala (16 October). These workshops will train Project Implementing Agencies on using the new digital portal.
State Treasury Portals must be integrated with the DDU-GKY 2.0 Integrated Portal by 30 September 2026 to enable online payments through the Grameen Kaushal Portal. The new digital platform will handle the entire project lifecycle and provide real-time monitoring and transparency.
What This Means for You
If you are a poor rural youth in participating states, you can expect skill training opportunities to expand from October 2026. Training courses will prepare you for specific jobs in sectors matched to your location and ability. Once trained, job placement support will be provided as part of the programme. The scheme is free for eligible candidates, making it an accessible path to formal employment.