Deconstructing the Skilling Cascade: A Stage-by-Stage Evaluation of DDU-GKY in Haryana, India

Placement-linked skilling programmes are increasingly the instrument of choice for converting demographic pressure into labour-market participation across the developing world yet their evaluation almost invariably rests on a single headline placement statistic. Such a statistic conceals the stage at which candidates are lost and therefore cannot discriminate between failures of mobilisation, of instruction, of certification, of employer linkage, or of job retention. This paper addresses that limitation by reconstructing the full administrative cascade of India’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya–Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) for the state of Haryana and benchmarking it, stage by stage, against the pooled national record.
The study used the complete project dataset rather than a sample, which provides a comprehensive basis for assessing programme implementation and outcomes. For Haryana, the dataset covered 106 institutions, 209 resources, and 2,132 training groups, involving 61,486 participants. This was compared with national-level data from 30 States and Union Territories, covering 3,711 resources and 2,072,929 participants. The database contains participant-level information on training completion, educational qualifications, employment eligibility, placement status after three months, and employment outcomes. Therefore, the dataset allows both an overall assessment of the dropout process and a detailed analysis of the factors affecting programme outcomes.
The analysis yielded three key findings. First, the performance disparity in Haryana was confined to specific stages of program implementation rather than the program as a whole. Haryana’s average target achievement rate stands at 83.5%, surpassing the national average of 74.4%. Performance regarding certification and assessment was also high; the certification rate was 93.96%, and 96.1% of trained participants completed the assessment process. However, there is a significant gap in the certification process: only 48.9% were certified by certification bodies, compared to 63.7% at the national level. Similarly, employment-related issues affected 42.0% of participants in Haryana, whereas the figure was 59.6% at the national level. These findings indicate that the major challenges facing Haryana are concentrated at specific stages rather than across the entire program. Haryana’s achievement rate is 86.5%, compared to the national average of 86.8%. This marginal difference suggests that the primary obstacles to achieving program outcomes likely arise prior to the final stages specifically, during the certification issuance phase.
Third, there is a vast disparity in performance among the 15 distribution companies (DISCOMs) implementing the program; their performance ranged from 0% to 72.5%. Notably, none of the companies achieved 75% of the program target. These variations highlight the differences in implementation performance across agencies and underscore the need for more targeted interventions to enhance the program's impact. Finally, an analysis of the participant and control groups for the 2022 and 2023 cohorts revealed a significant increase in the number of participants. This demonstrates a high level of adherence to the program process among participants in this group, as expected. It is generally acknowledged that Haryana has performed well across all phases of program implementation. The key area for improvement is certification.This article presents a hierarchical analysis applicable to other studies as well. It provides access to additional resources that facilitate the application's use, alongside an integrated usage index that can serve as a guide for public policy actions.

placement-linked skilling; vocational training; programme evaluation; administrative data; attrition cascade; labour-market transitions; rural youth employment; India

1. Beneficiaries under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana—DDU-GKY. (2016). Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=2085248 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chakravorty, B., Arulampalam, W., Bhatiya, A. Y., Imbert, C., & Rathelot, R. (2024). Can information about jobs improve the effectiveness of vocational training? Experimental evidence from India. Journal of Development Economics, 169, 103273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103273 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. DDUGKY. (2016). Retrieved August 6, 2026, from http://ddugky.info/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. H. Watane, Dr. U. (2024). “Trends and Challenges in Rural Employment through Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana: A Study from 2014 to 2022.” Educational Administration: Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i9.11072 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Home | Haryana State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Government of Haryana, India. (2026). Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://hsrlm.gov.in/DDU-GKY.aspx [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Kumar, M., SAHAY, N., & Bihari, S. (2019). Effective Job Retention Strategies for Rural Youths under Deen Dayal Grameen Kaushalya Yojana –(DDU-GKY). Journal of Applied Social Science, VOLUMEE 6, 741–749. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. M. J, D. (2022). Effectiveness of Skill Development Programmes under DDUGKY Scheme in Kancheepuram District. REST Journal on Banking, Accounting and Business, 1(2), 72–78. https://doi.org/10.46632/jbab/1/2/1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Ray, A., & Ali, A. (2021). AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SCHEMES FROM 2014 ONWARDS IN THE CONTEXT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Singh, B. P., & Singh, B. (2024). Empowering Rural Livelihoods: An In-depth Analysis of Skill Development Trends under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) in Madhya Pradesh. RESEARCH HUB International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 11(1), 32–40. https://doi.org/10.53573/rhimrj.2024.v11n1.006 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Solage, S., & Kolekar, A. (2024). The Economic Impact of Skill Development Programs in India: Assessing Their Effectiveness. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.14231585 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. SOP of DDU-GKY 2.0 Guidelines | Rural Development Department, Uttarakhand | India. (2025). Retrieved August 6, 2026, from https://ukrd.uk.gov.in/document/sop-of-ddu-gky-2-0-guidelines/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Srinivas, D. P. (2021). Impact of Skill Development Training Programmes on Youth: A Study of DDUGKY in Andhra Pradesh. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Srivastava, A. K., Logar, B., Sanghvi, S., Vaghela, A., & Adwani, M. (2025). Vocational training and employability: A study in reference to skill development program from Gujarat, India. Evaluation and Program Planning, 110, 102554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102554 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Surendran, S., & Panda, P. K. (2025). A Review of Impact of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana on Rural Employment Generation in India. International Journal of Academic Research and Development, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.70381/23951737.v11.n2.i22.2025.6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Surendran, S. & Prof.M.Soundarapandian. (2023). PERFORMANCE OF DDU-GKY SCHEME-A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TAMIL NADU AND KARNATAKA STATES. 46, 128–136. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Vaibhav Verma & Dr. Pradeep Singh Chauhan. (2021). An Effective Assessment of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) in Providing Skill Training Programme for Youth: A Study of Haryana State. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR), 227–233. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra7381 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Varma, V., & Tekwani, K. (2021). IMPACT OF DDU GKY SCHEME IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF EXPERIENCE OF YOUTH TRAINED UNDER THIS SCHEME. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 6. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study