The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its Performance Audit Report No. 20 of 2025 on the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), has identified a set of systemic gaps that affected the planning, execution, monitoring and outcomes of India’s flagship skill development programme. The audit, covering PMKVY phases implemented between 2015 and 2022, points to deficiencies that go beyond operational challenges and raise concerns about data integrity, beneficiary validation and outcome measurement.
Gap 1: Large-Scale Data Inconsistencies in Beneficiary Records
One of the most significant gaps highlighted by the audit relates to deficiencies in beneficiary data captured on the Skill India Portal (SIP). The CAG found that for PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0, the bank account details field was missing, blank, null or marked “N/A” for 90.66 lakh out of 95.90 lakh beneficiaries, accounting for over 94 per cent of records.
In cases where bank details were available, the audit identified repetition of the same bank account numbers across multiple beneficiaries, as well as the use of placeholder entries such as “123456” or “11111111111”. The report also flagged instances of duplicate photographs used for different beneficiaries across states. According to the CAG, these discrepancies point to weak validation controls and undermine the reliability of programme data, particularly in relation to payments and beneficiary identification.
Gap 2: Non-Compliance with Eligibility and Certification Norms
The audit identified systematic non-adherence to eligibility criteria prescribed under PMKVY. Despite minimum age and qualification requirements being specified for various job roles, the CAG found that thousands of underage candidates were enrolled and certified.
For instance, over 52,000 candidates were certified for the ‘Group Farming Practitioner’ role without meeting the minimum age requirement, while more than 40,000 underage candidates were certified as ‘Self-Employed Tailors’. Similar cases were noted across multiple job roles. The certification of ineligible candidates, the CAG observed, raises concerns about the credibility of the skill certification process and the robustness of oversight mechanisms.
Gap 3: Weak Outcome Measurement and Placement Verification
A third major gap relates to placement outcomes and their verification. While PMKVY places emphasis on employability, the audit found that placement rates remained modest, with only about 41 per cent of certified candidates reported as placed under short-term training components.
More critically, the CAG noted that placement data could not always be independently verified due to incomplete documentation and weak tracking systems. The absence of a robust post-certification tracking mechanism limited the programme’s ability to assess whether training translated into sustained employment. The audit also reported that around 34 lakh certified candidates had not received incentive payouts, indicating delays or gaps in benefit disbursement.
Gap 4: Inadequate Monitoring Systems and Financial Oversight
The audit flagged deficiencies in monitoring infrastructure and financial management. Systems such as the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), intended to ensure attendance and prevent misuse, were found to be inconsistently operational across training centres. The CAG also noted the absence of a formal data retention and validation policy, weakening IT governance.
On the financial side, the report highlighted delays in fund releases, particularly under the state component, along with inconsistencies in utilisation and accounting. While the Ministry released over ₹10,000 crore across the audited phases, the CAG observed gaps in expenditure reporting and delays in transferring funds to implementing agencies, affecting timely execution.
What the Audit Indicates
Taken together, the four gaps identified by the CAG — data integrity failures, eligibility violations, weak outcome tracking, and inadequate monitoring and financial controls — indicate that while PMKVY achieved scale, its implementation suffered from systemic weaknesses. The CAG has recommended strengthening planning based on labour market demand, tightening beneficiary validation, improving monitoring systems, and enhancing financial oversight to improve the effectiveness of future skilling interventions.
About PMKVY
The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the Government of India’s flagship skill development scheme, implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Launched in 2015, the scheme aims to provide short-term, industry-relevant skill training and certification to youth to enhance their employability. PMKVY has been implemented in multiple phases through training partners and assessment agencies across the country, with funding support from the central government and execution involving national and state-level institutions.
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