NEW DELHI: The parliamentary standing committee on social justice and empowerment has brought into focus the failure of the National Action Plan for Skill Development of Persons with Disabilities (NAP-SDP) to meet setout targets and highlighted that the continued shortfall in achieving even 25% of the set targets is a matter of serious concern.The panel in its latest report tabled in Parliament on Monday yet again raised the issue which it had flagged in its earlier report in March saying that the performance of the action plan remained significantly below the set targets over the last three years.In the report on the action taken by the government on the observations and recommendations made in March on ‘Demands for Grants (2026-27)’ of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, the panel said that it has not accepted the reply of the govt on NAP-SDP and added that it requires reiteration.The Committee, in its original report, had observed with concern that under the (NAP-SDP) the performance data reveals a widening gap. Against a target of 17,000 in 2023–24, the Department trained 9,333 beneficiaries; this fell sharply to 836 trainees against a target of 15,000 in 2024–25. Though higher than the previous year in 2025-2026 as of January 2,264 beneficiaries were trained against a target of 10,000.The panel chaired by BJP MP in Lok Sabha PC while acknowledging the administrative challenges posed by the transition to the PM DAKSH-DEPwD portal and the Hybrid Treasury Single Account (TSA) model, had said that the continued shortfall in achieving even 25% of the set targets was cited as a matter of serious concern.With the newly announced Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana, the Committee recommended that the Department adopt a more robust, industry-linked approach to bridge the gap between training and gainful employment. “It is essential that the Department prioritize the placement of certified trainees by strengthening partnerships with private employers and ensuring that training modules remain aligned with current market demands,” the committee had recommended.
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The Committee had further suggested that the targets for the 2026–27 fiscal year be monitored quarterly to ensure that the transition to the new Yojana results in a measurable improvement in both the number of beneficiaries trained and their subsequent placement in sustainable employment.The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in its reply to the Commission dated June 18 said that “the recommendations of the Committee have been noted”. “The new skilling scheme is being designed to address diverse skilling needs and aspirations of all types of Persons with Disabilities, through industry-linked and outcome-based livelihood models. The Department envisages to regularly monitor and review the scheme.”
