- 647 RSETIs cover 634 districts, running since January 2009
- Around 64 lakh people trained; 46 lakh of them women
- Five priorities: credit links, courses, trainers, model centres, AI and digital
- About 65% of trainees sit in a few courses; review ordered
- Every State asked to commit to one Model RSETI with a timeline
Rural Self Employment Training Institutes must modernise their courses and use artificial intelligence, Secretary Rohit Kansal told a national review meeting in Shillong, Meghalaya.
The two-day meeting of RSETI stakeholders was organised by the Ministry of Rural Development with the Government of Meghalaya and the National Academy of RSETI (NAR).
Progress so far
RSETI is a flagship programme run by a three-way partnership. The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), State and Union Territory governments and sponsoring banks share the work. The aim is one RSETI in every district.
Senior officials, State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), banks, NAR and RSETI staff from across the country attended. They reviewed physical and financial progress at the mid-point of the financial year and planned for the remaining two quarters.
Kansal said RSETI has a national footprint of 647 institutes covering 634 districts. The programme began in January 2009. Around 64 lakh people have been trained, and about 72% of them have been settled. He said 46 lakh of those trained are women, about 72% of total beneficiaries.
He stressed that training is only a means. The real goal is sustainable livelihoods through wage work, entrepreneurship or self-employment.
Five priorities and new course areas
Kansal asked stakeholders to focus on five priorities:
- Improving credit linkages
- Modernising and improving the courses offered
- Improving the quality of trainers
- Developing truly modern and model RSETIs
- Achieving complete digital transformation and effective use of Artificial Intelligence
He noted that about 65% of trainees are concentrated in a small set of courses. He called for a review of the course list. Emerging areas to add include AI, digital and mobile technologies, automobiles and tourism.
He also pointed to international job markets, citing nursing, caregiving, plumbing and foreign-language skills. Governing bodies were asked to revise courses that have not been updated recently.
Kansal urged banks and SRLMs to study the credit-linkage gap among the remaining beneficiaries. They should find out whether the gap comes from weak demand or from faults in credit delivery.
Accountability and a digital platform
Kansal wants RSETI courses to be attractive enough that rural youth seek them out. He asked every State to commit to at least one Model RSETI, with a fixed timeline.
He wants the full RSETI cycle, from mobilisation and registration to training, assessment, certification and outcome monitoring, placed on the Kaushal Rural portal. An AI layer would match candidates with suitable courses and livelihood options in India and abroad.
“What gets measured gets done,” Kansal said.
He said performance will be reviewed, and well-performing institutions will be recognised and rewarded. He urged participants to treat the work as seva, not just a task. He assured States that consultations will continue and that genuine problems will be tackled through reforms and simpler processes.
Ministry plans and state presentations
Joint Secretary (Rural Skills) S. Sasikumar described RSETI as one of the country’s longest-running and most successful skill programmes. He said it is 100% centrally sponsored and is becoming a platform that brings together training under various government schemes.
Sasikumar said the Ministry is considering a wider training portfolio. Proposals include AI, Rural Business Incubation Centres, Enterprise Mentoring Cells, partnerships with local industries and a National RSETI Alumni Meet. Other ideas are common branding for trainees’ products, structured handholding after training and a model RSETI in each State.
Bankers made bank-wise presentations. State Directors or State Controllers of RSETIs and National Officers of SRLMs gave State-wise presentations. Sessions covered the Ministry’s observations, best practices and targets for the rest of this year and the next. RSETI beneficiaries also shared how training helped them become self-employed and build steady livelihoods.
