Government Launches NAVYA Scheme to Train Adolescent Girls in Emerging Non-Traditional Skills.

The Government of India recently launched the NAVYA pilot initiative to provide skill development for adolescent girls in non-traditional, high-demand job roles. This scheme aims to empower girls aged 14–18 through training, financial support, and industry linkage.

      - The NAVYA initiative—Nurturing Aspirations through Vocational Training for Young Adolescent Girls—was officially launched on 28 August 2024 through a joint effort by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). The orientation session for the pilot was held in New Delhi, marking the formal rollout of the program under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0.

      - The scheme initially targets 4,000 adolescent girls aged 14 to 18, across 27 aspirational districts in 19 states. These districts were identified under the Aspirational Districts Programme to address regional development gaps.

      - Training partners such as PM Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs), Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs), and ITIs have been roped in to deliver certified vocational courses in alignment with industry demand and government skill frameworks.

Main Point :-   (i) A major feature of NAVYA is the comprehensive support system it offers. Enrolled girls receive a ₹1,000 monthly transport allowance via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Additionally, the curriculum includes life skills modules, digital literacy, financial education, legal awareness (covering POCSO and workplace safety), and career counselling—making it a holistic empowerment initiative.

      (ii) Top government officials, including Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of MSDE, and Shri Anil Malik, Secretary of MWCD, have emphasized the long-term vision of the scheme. It aims to raise India’s female labour force participation rate, currently around 37%, closer to global benchmarks of 55–60%. Both ministries highlighted NAVYA as a critical pillar for women-led development and achieving the objectives of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

(iii) NAVYA empowers adolescent girls by training them in non-traditional sectors like drone technology, smartphone repair, CCTV setup, and digital design—challenging gender norms in technical fields. The program is digitally monitored via Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) and is set for national scale-up with plans for apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and industry linkage.