The Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) was launched as a pilot scheme in 2010 for two years to meet the skilled manpower needs of textile and related segments through skill development training programmes. The scheme envisages participation of training institutes within the Textiles Ministry and the private sector as implementing agencies. The scheme has two components – component-I for training Institutes within the Ministry and component-II for the private sector.
The Government meets 75 per cent of the total cost of the project, and the balance is met by the implementing agencies with a provision of enhanced level of government assistance in certain circumstances. The average cost per trainee to be borne by the Government is limited to Rs. 7,300 for component-I and Rs. 7,500 for component-II. Under the scheme, funds are not released sector wise or State wise but are released directly to the implementing agencies.
Funds released so far to the implementing agencies are given below:
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 (as of Aug 2012) |
2012-13 | Total (Rs in crore) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component-I | 41.72 | 54.51 | 32.30 | 128.53 |
| Component-II | – | – | 21.28 | 21.28 |
Of these, the funds to the tune of Rs. 63.43 crores have been released for the apparel sector, Rs. 7.57 crores for jute and Rs. 73 lakhs for the handicrafts sector.
Under ISDS, the physical targets are computed implementing agency wise to cover beneficiaries. Pan India, State-wise targets are not fixed. The implementing agencies establish training centres across different States.
The industry has considered the scheme to be extremely useful. During the pilot phase, 30 projects with an outlay of Rs. 594.84 crores targeting 5.87 lakh trainees were sanctioned. As on October 2012, 74,094 persons have been trained under the scheme which has covered 24 States in all the sub-sectors of textiles and clothing.
A dynamic web-based management information system (MIS) has been developed to capture the progress and information on the projects being executed under component-I of the scheme.
