Empowering Futures: Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar Visits DDU-GKY Centre in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh; Highlights Commitment to Skill Development
TENALI, ANDHRA PRADESH – In a heart-touching display of the transformative power of skill development, Honourable Minister of State for Rural Development, Dr.Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, visited the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) training centre in Tenali on 19th April 2026.
The visit was marked by a deep interaction with 105 trainees currently undergoing the General Duty Assistant (GDA) course in the healthcare sector and distribution of Offer Letter to all candidates. The event, which was also attended by MLC Mr. Alapati Rajendra Prasad and CEO of SEEDAP Mr.Narayana Swamy, underscored the government’s robust commitment to bridging the gap between rural youth and formal employment.
A Significant Investment in Youth Addressing the gathering, Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar highlighted the extensive investment being made to secure the professional future of the state’s youth. “Both the Central and State governments are investing approximately Rs. 75,000 per candidate for comprehensive skill development,” the Minister stated. He emphasized that the program is not merely about imparting training, but ensuring gainful employment within the state.
He further announced a scalable roadmap for the centre, confirming that the DDUGKY training program would continue for three years and the Training Centre will continue with a capacity to train and place 105 candidates every three months, ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals.
A Mother’s Tearful Testimony The highlight of the event was an emotional interaction with the parents of the trainees. Mrs. Naga Lakshmi, mother of a trainee, Miss Divya, shared a poignant story of struggle and resilience that left the audience—including the Minister—deeply moved.
Mrs. Naga Lakshmi recounted that she and her husband, despite being uneducated themselves, had worked tirelessly to ensure their two daughters completed their intermediate education. However, when her elder daughter, Divya, failed two subjects, societal pressure mounted, and relatives urged the family to marry her off, considering her academic struggle a dead end.
“We were devastated. We did not want our children to face the same hardships we faced due to a lack of education. We begged for help, but it was all in vain,” she said, her voice trembling.
The family eventually discovered the free training offered at the DDUGKY centre in Tenali. Today, as she stood before the Minister, Mrs. Naga Lakshmi held her daughter’s job offer letter in her hands. With tears streaming down her face, she expressed her profound gratitude, stating that her daughter had finally found dignity and a career path. Witnessing the mother’s raw emotion, the Minister was visibly moved, seen with wet eyes as he listened to the story of a family whose life had been forever changed by the intervention of the program.
Vision for the Future CEO of SEEDAP, Mr. Narayana Swamy, who led the event, noted that such success stories are the driving force behind the SEEDAP-DDUGKY initiative. By focusing on high-demand sectors like healthcare, the program is effectively converting rural youth into self-reliant professionals.
The event concluded on a note of hope, with the Minister assuring the trainees and their parents that the government remains steadfast in its mission to provide every rural youth with the tools necessary to build a prosperous and dignified life.
Capacity Building workshop for District Program Managers (Jammu) –Himayat Mission Management Unit, conducted by NIRDPR
HMMU in collaboration with NIRDPR, Hyderabad conducted 3-day Orientation-cum-Capacity Building Program from 22nd April 2026 to 24th April 2026 under HIMAYAT (DDU-GKY 2.0) for newly recruited District program Managers in 10 districts of Jammu Division. Given the critical role of DPMs in ensuring effective planning, monitoring, and implementation of the programme at the district level, NIRDPR equipped them with a comprehensive understanding of the scheme –its operational framework, guidelines and SOPs.
DPMs were provided with class room and practical trainings. Class room trainings were provided in IIT –Jammu. One day field visit was also organized for DPMs for reality check.
Glimpses Day 1:
Glimpses Day 2:
Glimpses Day 3:
Participation of Himayat Candidates in Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
Himayat candidates participated in Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan. The Nasha Mukt Abhiyan is a transformative movement designed to free our homes, schools and communities from the grip of substance abuse.
NashaMuktJk 100 Days Abhiyan is a comprehensive initiative to create a drug-free Jammu & Kashmir through awareness, rehabilitation, and community engagement.
Awareness Camps in various districts in Jammu Division by HMMU –Himayat Mission Management Unit
The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) – Himayat scheme in Jammu is actively promoted through awareness camps. In a constant endeavor to create awareness of DDUIGKY-Himayat scheme, various camps are being organized by HMMU in different locations across various districts of Jammu division. A significant focus is on reaching young people in far-flung and remote villages who may not have easy access to information about government schemes.
Free Health Checkup Camp at DDU-GKY Centre, Rajasthan
Saraswati Swarojgar Evm Prashikshan Sansthan, 1/1 C Class Pratap Nagar Udaipur Raj 313001 organized a free health check-up camp for DDU-GKY General Duty Assistant Trainee students, where basic health parameters such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and body weight of patients were checked at no cost. This initiative provided students with valuable practical exposure, helping them apply their theoretical knowledge in a real-life setting. Through direct interaction with patients, the students gained hands-on experience in handling different situations, improving their communication and patient care skills. As a result, their confidence was significantly enhanced, and they developed a better understanding of healthcare practices and responsibilities.
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Training Programs:
Session on DDU- GKY Project Closure to Karnataka SRLM Staff at Bengaluru
CTSA team conducted training for the officials of Karnataka SRLM on Project closure during 8-9 April 2026. Mr Bujanga Reddy and Mr Jagadesshwara Reddy from M&E and Mr Raghu Vamsi from Kaushal Bharat conducted the training.
Training to CIRDAP Officials on DDU-GKY – facilitated by Mr. KUMAR State Team Manager, DDU-GKY, NIRDPR
NIRDPR regularly conducts orientations on schemes of the Government of India for rural development functionaries, including international delegations. In one such instance, Mr M Kumaraswamy delivered an orientation on the skill development ecosystem in India and the transformative power of the DDU-GKY scheme to a delegation from CIRDAP in 15 April 2026.
Virtual Session on Monitoring of Training Quality under DDU-GKY 2.0 for officials of SRLM & PIA of Arunachal Pradesh.
An online training session on Monitoring of Training Quality under DDU-GKY2.0 for the SRLM & PIA officials of Arunachal Pradesh was organized on 20th Apr’26. In this workshop, the officials were oriented on the topic of inspection, due diligence process of DDU-GKY2.0, which would ensure the quality of training under the program. The resource persons for the online training were Mr Santosh LA (Project Manager, DDU-GKY) & Mr Piyush Kumar (Project Officer, DDU-GKY). In this virtual session 59 officials were upskilled & oriented on Monitoring of Training Quality.
CONTRIBUTORS are from DDU-GKY RC, NIRDPR
- Mr. Sudheer and Mr. Pavan, Andhra Pradesh
- Mr. Jyoti Ranjan Matha, Rajasthan
- Mr. Sumeet Mahajan, J&K
- Mr. Abhishek Guria, T&D, HQ
- Reports Compiled by: Dr. Nithin Rao
- Reviewed by: Dr. Sandhya Gopakumaran
Articles for Kaushal Samachar may be sent to: trainingddugky@nird.gov.in or nithinrao@nird.gov.in
