By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JUNE 09, 2013: NSDA has been tasked to coordinate and harmonize the Skill Development efforts of the Government and the Private Sector to achieve the Skilling Targets of the 12th Plan and Beyond. It will also work to bridge the Social, Regional, Gender and Economic Divide by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups are taken care of through various Skill Development Programmes.

Pursuant to the Union Cabinet approval, the Government has constituted the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) by subsuming the Prime Minister's National Council on Skill Development (PMNCSD), the National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) and the Office of the Adviser to the PM on Skill Development.

The NSDA will coordinate and harmonize the skill development efforts of the Government of India and the private sector to achieve the skilling targets of the 12th Plan and beyond. It will endeavour to bridge the social, regional, gender and economic divide by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups like SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women and differently-abled persons are taken care of through the various skill development programmes.

While the Central Ministries and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will continue to implement schemes in their remit, the NSDA will develop and monitor an overarching framework for skill development, anchor the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and facilitate the setting-up of professional certifying bodies in addition to the existing ones.

NSDA will be an autonomous body chaired by a person of the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister supported by a Director General and other support staff.