Project Unnati

In News

• The Union Rural Development Ministry wants to link the performances of the States under the Unnati project with its labour budget for the upcoming financial year.

Project Unnati

• About:
  • Unnati project is a skilling project launched in 2020 intended to upgrade the skill base of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries, and thereby improving their livelihoods.
  • Under the project, the selected candidates are skilled using three established training programmes — the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDU-GKY), the Rural Self Training Institute (RSETI) and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
  • This project is meant for providing training for one adult member (of age 18-45 years old) of a household who has completed 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in the previous financial year from the year of commencement of the project. 
• Features: 
  • The household from which candidates are selected for the training, continue to enjoy 100 days of work under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.
  • The candidates undergoing training are paid a stipend for a maximum period of 100 days and for one program per household as per the wage rate prevailing in the concerned State/UT as per the provisions of the project.
  • Full expenditures towards a stipend, against wage loss compensation, are entirely borne by the Central Government.
  • Total of 2,00,000 beneficiaries shall be imparted training under this project in a span of three years in 26 States and 2 UTs. 

Significance

• The whole purpose of the project is to connect the rural people to various available livelihood opportunities and lead them to self-reliance and sustainable development.
• It  is improving the livelihoods of the neediest Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries by providing a skill, either for self-employment or wage employment.

Scheme’s performance

• The performance so far has been far below this 20% target. 
• In the 2020-21 financial year for example, 71 lakh households worked for 100 days in the country under the MGNREGS but only 8,658 persons received training under the Unnati project. 
• Similarly, in 2021-2022, the number of eligible households stood at 59 lakh, but only 12,577 persons were trained.
• The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that coincided with the launch of the project is also blamed for its tardy implementation. 

Source: TH