The textile and apparel industry is one of the oldest industries established in India. This industry contributes 5% to the country’s GDP and is responsible for 12% of India’s total export earnings. India has been able to achieve this immense growth due to the availability of the labour force.

Despite the labour force availability, India faced a gap in engaging ‘skilled labours’ in the textile and apparel industry. The earlier production methods relied heavily on manual practices. However, the new age demand and usage of technology created a void of skilled labour. Subsequently, to increase the supply of skilled labour, the Government of India launched Samarth Scheme.

Want to know about this scheme in detail? Read along!

The Ministry of Textile has introduced a Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textile Sectors (SCBTS) which will be known as Samarth Scheme.

The Government launched this scheme to transform the unskilled labour force into a skilled one and engage them in different sectors. These sectors include knitting, processing, garment and other unorganized sectors, including handloom, carpet, jute, silk and many others.

Samarth Scheme targets 10 lakh youth and aims to train them for a period of three years (2017-2018 and 2019-2020).

Now that the definition of Samarth Scheme is clear to individuals, let's learn about the objective, features and benefits of availing the scheme.

The main objectives of Samarth Scheme are:

• Samarth Scheme aims to offer market-responsive and job-oriented National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) specific upskilling programs to 10 lakh youth (9 lakh in organized sector and 1 lakh in the unorganized sector).
• Through this, the Government aims to supplement and incentivise the endeavour to create job opportunities in textile and related sectors.
• This scheme wants to promote skill upgradation in traditional sectors such as handlooms, jute, etc.
• Samarth Scheme wants to ensure sustainable livelihood by providing wages or creating self-employment opportunities to all the sections of India.

The features of Samarth Scheme is as follows,

• Samarth Scheme is operational in 18 states.
• This scheme will follow the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System with at least 80% of assessment.
• Under this scheme, trainees will receive skill development training from individuals having Training of Trainers (ToT) certification by RSA/SSCs.
• This scheme has initiated a placement linked upskilling programme along with wage employment in the traditional sector (50%) and organised sector (70%). It will also continue tracking after placement for a period of one year.
• With an outlay of ₹ 1,300 crore, Samarth Scheme is expected to continue all its assigned tasks.
• This scheme will include CCTV recording of training programmes where conflicts occurring in a training session can easily be resolved.
• Samarth scheme will operate under a web-based Management Information System (MIS) that will monitor the total implementation process.
• Other advanced features of Samarth Scheme include a dedicated call centre with a helpline number, online monitoring of the training process, etc.

As individuals have now gained detailed knowledge about the Samarth Scheme, let’s focus on the eligibility and application process.

To be eligible for Samarth Scheme, individuals have to be residents of India.

Note: Preference will be given to SC/ST, women, minorities, differently-abled persons, BPL category persons, and 115 aspirational districts (that are notified by the NITI Aayog).

Individuals willing to apply for the Samarth scheme can follow the steps mentioned below.

• Step 1- Visit the official website of Samarth. 
• Step 2- On the right hand side of its home page, individuals will find ‘Candidate Registration’ menu. 
• Step 3- Fill the ‘Candidate Enquiry Form’ and click on ‘Submit’ to complete the online application process.

Knowing the essential details of Samarth Scheme, individuals must be wondering about the ultimate benefit of availing such scheme and the agencies responsible for implementing this scheme. So, let’s find out!

By availing Samarth Scheme, individuals can reap the following benefits:

• Youths/workers will get skill development training related to the textile industry.
• Women can benefit from this scheme as it will create earning opportunities for them.

Below is listed the implementing agencies of Samarth Scheme,

• Textile Industry.
• Institutions/State Governments/Organization of the Ministry of Textiles that have placement tie-ups and training infrastructure with this industry.
• NGOs/Reputed training institutions/Societies/Organizations/Trusts/Companies/Start Ups active in this textile sector that have placement tie-ups with this industry.

Wondering which states come under the Samarth Scheme? Read along!

The states that have signed MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) are as follows,

• Arunachal Pradesh
• Kerala 
• Jammu & Kashmir
• Mizoram
• Telangana
• Tamil Nadu
• Uttar Pradesh 
• Assam 
• Andhra Pradesh
• Madhya Pradesh 
• Karnataka 
• Tripura
• Odisha
• Haryana 
• Manipur
• Meghalaya 
• Uttarakhand
• Jharkhand

Now that individuals know all the details regarding Samarth Scheme, they can opt to apply for it and enhance their skill in textile and related industries.