J&K gets 14,000 PM-VIKAS beneficiaries for skill, education

Shafat Malik
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27 Apr 2026

• 6,400 under non-traditional skilling • 3,560 in traditional training • 5,000 under education • 33% women quota in skilling, 50% in education • Separate women leadership component

Srinagar, Apr 26: Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated targets covering more than 14,000 beneficiaries under the Centre’s PM-VIKAS scheme, spanning skill development, education and entrepreneurship components, as per data accessed by Rising Kashmir.

As per the data accessed by Rising Kashmir, 6,400 candidates have been earmarked under non-traditional skilling, while 3,560 under traditional training and 5,000 under the education component, indicating the scale of outreach planned in the Union Territory.

The scheme, launched in January 2025, focuses on socio-economic empowerment of minority communities through training, leadership development and support for self-employment. It brings together multiple earlier programmes under a single framework.

The programme also provides for skill training aligned with national standards, entrepreneurship support, market linkages and facilitation of credit through financial institutions, aimed at improving employability and income generation.

The framework includes provisions to ensure the inclusion of women and disadvantaged groups. At least 33 per cent of the target is reserved for women in skill training, while 50 per cent is earmarked under the education component, and a separate component is designed for women leadership and entrepreneurship.

While training under the scheme is yet to be reported in Jammu and Kashmir, the allocations indicate that implementation is in its initial phase, with groundwork laid across multiple sectors.

Nationally, the scheme has set a target of over 1.47 lakh candidates, with training having begun during the current financial year, suggesting a phased rollout across states and Union Territories.

The data points to an expanded framework for skill development and entrepreneurship support in J&K, with the coming phase expected to determine the pace of implementation on the ground.