Rural Development Ministry to launch DDU-GKY 2.0 training batches from October 2026

The Ministry of Rural Development will begin Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0 training batches across most states and union territories from October 2026, starting with 1,164 batches enrolling 34,920 rural youth in the first phase, covering 14 states and UTs: Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Karnataka, Telangana and Bihar. The scheme targets training 3,57,112 rural youth by 31 December 2027 across all 31 participating states/UTs, with each state/UT expected to ensure allocation of targets to its Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) by 31 October 2026 so training can begin on schedule. DDU-GKY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development that provides placement-linked skill training to poor rural youth, with training duration ranging from three to twelve months depending on the trade.