NITI Aayog Apprenticeship Report: 20 Recommendations
Why in the news
NITI Aayog published a policy report to strengthen apprenticeships as a pillar of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Key facts
- Title: Revitalizing Apprenticeship Ecosystem: Insights, Challenges, Recommendations and Best Practices.
- 20 recommendations across five pillars: policy reforms, structural strengthening, state and district action, industry engagement, aspirant support.
- Proposes an Apprenticeship Engagement Index to compare states.
| Finding | Detail |
|---|---|
| Concentration | Gujarat: about 24.18% of engagements (NAPS, FY 2024-25) |
| Leading states | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka |
| Laggards | Many states and UTs under 0.001% |
Concerns
- Bias towards academic degrees over vocational training.
- Regional imbalance and weak rural training infrastructure.
- Complex rules and multiple portals (NAPS versus NATS).
- Skills mismatch, e.g. AI and digital gaps.
Existing initiatives
- NEP 2020: merges vocational with formal education.
- NAPS: financial incentives for employers.
- NATS: for graduates and diploma holders.
- District Skill Committees: local skill planning.
Exam angle
- 20 recommendations, 5 pillars, Gujarat about 24.18%.