Jaipur, Aug. 13 -- Rajasthan is moving towards a district-level skill development model in which training programmes are being aligned with the local economy, industry requirements, employment potential and emerging sectors, rather than following a uniform approach across the state, according to a Lok Sabha reply. In the reply by the Union ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, it said District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) are being prepared after assessing each district's economic profile, workforce characteristics, employer demand, migration patterns, training capacity and future growth sectors. For Rajasthan, the approach puts particular emphasis on sectors such as tourism and hospitality, renewable energy, agriculture, food processing and logistics. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), 1.40 million candidates have been trained or oriented in the state since the scheme's inception, while 1.21 million have been certified. Under PMKVY 4.0 alone, 315,000 candidates have been trained or oriented and 251,000 certified. Tourism has emerged as one of the biggest areas of skilling in the state, with 81,897 candidates trained or oriented and 76,324 certified under PMKVY since inception. Agriculture has accounted for 49,608 trained and 36,734 certified candidates, while renewable energy has seen 38,446 trained and 31,565 certified. Logistics accounts for 33,045 trained and 26,617 certified, while 14,003 candidates have been trained in food processing, of whom 11,784 have been certified. The Centre said PMKVY 4.0 provides flexibility to states, industries and training providers to propose programmes based on local economic opportunities. The sectors specifically identified include agriculture, MSMEs, food processing, logistics, tourism and renewable energy. District plans are being prepared through District Skill Committees headed by the respective district magistrate, collector or deputy commissioner. The plans involve needs assessment, skill mapping, aggregation of industry demand and identification of gaps in the existing training ecosystem. During 2024-25, 746 District Skill Development Plans and 28 State Skill Development Plans were submitted through the SANKALP portal. The new approach is also visible in Rajasthan's rural and tribal areas. Under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, 26 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in Jhalawar are being covered through capacity-building interventions for 7,679 participants. The training focuses on entrepreneurship and value addition, processing and marketing of minor forest produce. Solar energy is another emerging area. A total of 2,105 participants in Rajasthan have been trained under the solar entrepreneurship programme linked to PM Surya Ghar, including 261 from Sikar. In addition, 15,674 participants in the state have been trained under renewable-energy capacity-building programmes, including 621 DISCOM officials. The government has also linked tourism skilling with rural employment. Under the ministry of tourism's Capacity Building for Service Providers programme, 7,707 participants have been trained or certified in Rajasthan over the past five years. The latest evaluation data gives an indication of the employment impact of the training. The third-party evaluation of PMKVY 4.0 found that the combined share of surveyed trainees who were employed or self-employed increased from 26.6% before training to 45.4% after training. Further, 41.4% of short-term training candidates reported an increase in income after training and certification. The Rajasthan-specific picture, therefore, is increasingly one of linking skilling with sectors that already have economic potential in different parts of the state - tourism in the service economy, solar in the renewable-energy sector, agriculture and food processing in rural areas, and value addition to forest produce in tribal districts....