Dharmendra Pradhan, Om Birla launch 'Skills on Wheels' initiative in Delhi

Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday launched the 'Skills on Wheels' initiative in Delhi.

The initiative is aimed at generating awareness around the government's skill development mission, opportunities and support system available for youths.

"To promote digital literacy and digital skills in which India is developing global competency this scheme with the help of NSDC has been launched. 'Skills on Wheels is a unique experiment. Today, PM Vishwakarma's Yojana was launched, which shows that the Indian govt is committed to providing skills to traditional craftsmen, along with providing 21st-century digitisation skills," Dharmendra Pradhan said while speaking to reporters.

"This bus and experimental laboratory will go to the villages of Rajasthan. Later it will go to other parts of the country. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is present here. He will send this bus to Rajasthan. Later it will go to other parts of the country," he added.

"To realize its mission to reach out to each and every youth in the country, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National Skill Development Corporation has started 'Skill on wheels' or Kaushal Rath and Skillathon to spread awareness around Skill Mission, opportunities and support system available to the youth and engage all the stakeholders in a structured manner," an official statement said.

Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM Vishwakarma scheme aimed at benefitting traditional artisans and craftspeople. Prime Minister Modi made the announcement after inaugurating the Rs 5,400 crore first phase of the India International Convention Centre (IICC), named Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, on his birthday today. He also interacted with artisans and craftspeople at the Centre.

"The friends who have been at the root of India's prosperity for thousands of years are our Vishwakarmas," he told artisans."With the blessings of Lord Vishwakarma, 'Pradhanmantri Vishwakarma Yojana' is being started today. PM Vishwakarma Yojana comes as a new ray of hope for millions of families working traditionally with hand skills and tools," the Prime Minister said.

He urged the artisans to purchase toolkits only from those shops that are GST registered and the products are Made in India.

PM Vishwakarma will be fully funded by the Union Government with an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore. The artists will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, skill upgradation involving basic and advanced training, toolkit incentive of Rs 15,000, collateral-free credit support up to Rs 1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs 2 lakh (second tranche) at a concessional interest rate of 5 per cent, incentive for digital transactions and marketing support.