MoHUA Launches NIPUN Scheme under DAY NULM

Project NIPUN UPSC: Relevance

• GS 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors

NIPUN scheme: Context

• Recently, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has launched an innovative project for skill training of construction workers called ‘NIPUN’ i.e., National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers.

NIPUN project MoHUA: Key points

• The project NIPUN is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under its flagship scheme of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).
• The scheme will promote skilling in the construction sector where it has not spread horizontally across the industry.

What is project NIPUN?

• The scheme objective is to train over 1 lakh construction workers, through fresh skilling and upskilling programmes and provides them with work opportunities in foreign countries also.
• The NIPUN Project will enable the construction workers to seek better job opportunities, increase their wages and even pursue overseas placements.
• Through suitable skilling initiatives such as NIPUN, a future labour force for the construction industry will be created, which will propel innovation and large-scale development in the country.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will be the Implementation Partner for the project NIPUN.
• Under NIPUN, it is also envisaged that NSDC will place approximately 12,000 people in foreign countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC countries.
• Project NIPUN will also facilitate and support convergence with related line ministries.
• Meanwhile, NSDC will be responsible for the overall execution of training, monitoring and candidate tracking.
• It will provide trainees with ‘Kaushal Bima’, a three-year accidental insurance with coverage of INR 2 lakhs, digital skills.

About DAY NULM

• DAY-NULM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, being implemented since 2014-15 by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
• The objective is to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households in the country by enabling them to access self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.
• The project implementation is divided into three parts – training through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) at construction sites, training through Fresh Skilling by Plumbing and Infrastructure SSC and International Placement through industries/ builders/ contractors.
• Onsite skill training will be provided to approximately 80,000 construction workers through industry associations under the RPL certification.
• The courses are aligned with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and will be imparted at accredited and affiliated training centres.

Construction sector in India

• The construction industry is poised to become the largest employer by 2022 and needs 45 million additional skilled workers over the next 10 years.
• To fulfil this mission, the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) have joined Project NIPUN as industry partners.
• These industry partners will identify training job roles of aspirational value in the construction sector in collaboration with the SSC.

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