Govt Pushes Inclusive Skills Under Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana

The Government of India has intensified its focus on inclusive skill development and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, with policymakers, industry leaders and experts outlining a demand-driven skilling ecosystem during a Post-Budget Webinar on Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.

The consultation is part of the government's new Post-Budget Webinar initiative, aimed at accelerating implementation of the Union Budget 2026–27 through collaboration with stakeholders across government, industry and civil society.

PM Highlights Youth Aspirations and Participatory Governance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while describing the Post-Budget Webinars as a strong example of Jan Bhagidari (people's participation), said India's greatest strength lies in the aspirations of its youth across villages, towns and cities who are eager to innovate and contribute to nation-building.

The Prime Minister emphasised that as India transitions toward an innovation-driven economy, the country must continuously modernise its education and skilling systems to unlock this vast human potential.

He also noted that lakhs of stakeholders, experts and beneficiaries are participating in the consultations, helping generate practical ideas and actionable solutions to support the effective implementation of the Union Budget.

Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana to Strengthen Inclusive Employment

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar highlighted that a nation's progress must be measured by how effectively it empowers its most vulnerable citizens.

He stated that the Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana, announced in the Union Budget, represents a significant step toward strengthening employment-linked skill development for persons with disabilities (Divyangjan).

According to the minister, meaningful progress will require strong partnerships between government agencies, industry and civil society, ensuring that skill training programs lead to real, dignified and sustainable employment opportunities.

Focus on Industry-Linked and Market-Oriented Skills

Experts participating in the webinar emphasised that skill development programmes for persons with disabilities must be aligned with industry needs and market demand.

Key recommendations discussed during the consultation included:

• Integrating Divyangjan into mainstream education, STEM learning and professional training systems

• Promoting inclusive hiring practices across public and private sectors

• Expanding accessible training tools and digital learning platforms

• Supporting entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities

• Leveraging AI-enabled remote work and digital employment models

• Establishing structured job-matching platforms to connect trained candidates with employers

• Creating accessibility auditing roles, allowing persons with disabilities to contribute to inclusive infrastructure development

Experts also stressed the importance of community-based skilling initiatives in rural areas, where access to specialised training facilities remains limited.

Centres of Excellence to Support Specialised Training

The discussions highlighted the need to develop Centres of Excellence for specialised vocational training, which can provide advanced skill development tailored to different types of disabilities.

Such centres would support industry collaboration, technology-enabled training and assistive learning tools, helping create a more robust pipeline of skilled workers with disabilities.

The goal, experts said, is to build a demand-driven and industry-linked skilling ecosystem that ensures long-term employment outcomes rather than short-term training interventions.

Five-Pillar Framework for Inclusive Skilling

Concluding the session, Ms. Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), summarised the discussions under a five-pillar framework:

• Passion

• Perseverance

• Possibilities

• Potential

• Pilot

She emphasised that future skilling initiatives must remain accessible, demand-driven and closely linked to employment outcomes, ensuring that policy commitments translate into measurable impact on the ground.

According to Nanda, the deliberations reflect a shared national commitment among government, industry and civil society to transform disability-inclusive skilling into a powerful engine of empowerment and economic participation.

Toward an Inclusive Workforce

The Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana forms part of the government's broader strategy to expand inclusive growth, skill development and workforce participation, particularly as India moves toward its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

By strengthening training systems, promoting accessible technologies and encouraging inclusive hiring, policymakers hope to unlock the untapped economic potential of millions of persons with disabilities across the country.