In her Budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman made no mention of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, despite this being her third Budget since the scheme’s introduction.
According to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) database, as of November 2024, the total number of artisans registered under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme is 23,52,673, from 656 districts across the country. The candidates enrolled for basic training under the scheme totals 12,33,701, and those who have completed the training are 12,00,810.
Out of the 18 trades identified in the scheme, the Tailor (Darzi) category has the highest number of beneficiaries with 3,26,282, consisting largely of women.
State profile
Karnataka tops with 2,84,751 candidates having completed the training. On the other hand, States such as Punjab (2,610), Kerala (3,093), and a few North-Eastern States like Arunachal Pradesh (29), Sikkim (109), Mizoram (155), and Nagaland (610), and union territories like Puducherry (52) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (243), have fewer beneficiaries of the scheme.
Also Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Meghalaya have no beneficiaries of the scheme. Recently, the Tamil Nadu government decided to scrap the PM Vishwakarma scheme, alleging that it caters to the interests of a particular caste. However, data suggest that the scheme benefits not only the artisans belonging to the Vishwakarma Community under the OBC category but also those belonging to the SC and ST (26 per cent) and the General Category (21 per cent).
The data also show certain shortcomings of the scheme. One major issue is related to the low participation rate of certain groups of traditional artisans in the scheme. The total number of beneficiaries from the Blacksmith (Lohar), Sculptors, Stone Artists (Moortikar), and Goldsmith (Sunar) is only 2.4 per cent, 1.4 per cent, 0.98 per cent, and 0.03 per cent of the total 1,200,810 beneficiaries of the scheme.
Funds crunch
One of the reasons for the low participation of traditional artisans in the scheme is that they already possess the skills and tools required for their jobs, but what they lack are the funds. Jayakrishnan, a fifth-generation carpenter belonging to a temple stapathi family in Kerala, says, “There is a mandatory requirement of getting enrolled in a training programme to avail the benefits of this scheme. Since I have been doing this job since the age of ten, there is no requirement to invest my time and energy in attending some training programme by compromising my daily wages.”
There were also allegations that government agents were showing favouritism in selecting beneficiaries of the scheme. Subramanian Achary, from a fifth-generation traditional stonesmith family in Karnataka, stated, “Only those who are very close to the government officials get the benefits of the scheme. If I must go after the government offices to avail its benefits, my daily work will be affected, thereby my income.”
Though the process involved in availing of the scheme is the same for the artisans engaged in 18 different trades, the skill sets required and the challenges they face in each category are different. For instance, the inputs or raw materials used by the goldsmith or stone smiths are not the same as the barbers or washermen.
The manhours and physical labour required for the completion of stone carving are different from that of garland making. However, the present scheme does not cater to these heterogeneous needs and challenges. Though the intent behind the scheme is laudable, policymakers must reexamine its execution. If not, the invaluable skill sets possessed by these artisans, passed down from generations, will be lost forever.
Nivya is a doctoral scholar at ISEC, Bangalore, Krishna Raj is a Professor at ISEC, Bangalore, and Mohandas is the Head, Department of Economics, CHRIST University, Yeshwanthpur Campus
