70,000 Rural Youth to Start Skill Training Under DDU-GKY 2.0 From October 2026

About 70,000 rural youth in 24 States/UTs will begin skill training under DDU-GKY 2.0 in 2,015 batches from October 2026, the Ministry of Rural Development said.

24 States/UTs have handed out 5.6 lakh targets to more than 1,200 projects run by Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs). Other states are close to finishing target allocation. All 31 participating States/UTs have been given more than 9 lakh targets for the 2-year period 2026-28.

Deadline for states

States/UTs must hand out targets to PIAs so training can start latest by October 31. Training runs from 3 months up to 12 months. The scheme is for youth aged 15 to 35 years.

DDU-GKY started on September 25, 2014 under National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Till June 2026, 18.45 lakh rural youth have been trained and 12.35 lakh have got jobs.