Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a skill certification component to enable Indian youth to take on industry relevant skill certification which will help them to secure a better livelihood. Individuals with prior learning experience or skills can register themselves and get assessed and certified under the RPL component of PMKVY. It focuses mainly on individuals engaged in unregulated sectors.
Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) such as private and public sector expert bodies in the sector, Central and State Government ministries and their institutions and other agencies designated by MSDE/NSDC are being incentivised to implement RPL projects in any of the five models (RPL camps, RPL at employer’s premises, RPL by demand, RPL with best-in-class employers and online RPL).
RPL has 12 hours of orientation. To address knowledge gaps, PIAs offer bridge courses to candidates along with the 12-hour orientation domain skills, soft skills and entrepreneurship tips and familiarization with the assessment process.
Any revisions made to these guidelines will be uploaded on the official website of PMKVY (www. pmkvyofficial.org). All stakeholders are advised to regularly check for amendments/changes, if any.
Objectives:
To actively contribute to existing skill development in India by establishing an outcome-driven implementation framework which evaluates and recognises skills and knowledge acquired outside the classroom (informal learning or learning through work), helps people acquire a formal qualification that matches their knowledge and skills, and if required upskills/reskills (through bridge courses) and thereby contributes to improving their employability, lifelong learning, social inclusion, and self-esteem.
The objectives of RPL are primarily three-fold:
To align the competencies of the pre-existing workforce of the country to the standardized National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)
To enhance the employability and/or entrepreneurial opportunities of an individual, and
To provide opportunities for reducing inequalities based on privileging certain forms of knowledge over others
RPL under PMKVY 3.0 also seeks to:
Create value by making it aspirational both from the standpoint of the candidate and the employer. Upskilling/reskilling and inclusivity by certifying people are ways to make RPL aspirational
Leverage technological interventions in programme delivery by providing standardized content on digital and financial literacy, online assessments, etc.
Forge strong links with industry by gauging industry requirements, factoring these requirements into RPL and thereby creating industry acceptance for people going through the RPL program and being certified
Deploy demand-based selective RPL models by restructuring and designing demand-based selective models for different sectors (organized/unorganized) and improve target allocation by targeting geographies and sectors based on skill gaps/industry surveys/requirements, etc.
Project Type, Eligibility and Stakeholders Involved:
Project types in RPL 3.0: RPL project types predominantly talk about the RPL execution strategy with respect to target beneficiaries. Five types of RPL projects will be available under PMKVY 3.0:
RPL Type 1 (Camps): The salient features for this project type are:
This is proposed to be conducted for target beneficiaries in a location where workers of a sector are consolidated (such as industrial and/or traditional skill clusters)
Orientation hours proposed is 12 hours
Bridge course up to additional 68 hours based on need and relevance can be added over and above the 12 hours of orientation
Target allocation will be implemented through RFP mode
This will cover both Centrally Sponsored Centrally Managed (CSCM) and Centrally Sponsored State Managed (CSSM) components
PIA Cost and tranches: Rs. 2,000/- with payment in 2 tranches
Candidates going for this RPL type will receive an RPL kit
A certified trainer will provide the orientation
The following can be Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs):
- Private and public expert bodies in the sector recommended by the SSCs, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), cluster-based associations such as cooperatives (for example, agriculture, industry associations, etc)
- Central and State Government ministries, their institutions
- Central/state universities, skill universities, Government ITIs, KVKs, etc.
- Training Providers in response to demand aggregation by District Skill Committees, State Skill Development Missions, SSCs, and Demand Portal
Some examples of RPL in camp mode are:
- Automotive cluster of Mumbai and Pune, garment manufacturing cluster of Tirupur district (Tamil Nadu), footwear cluster of Agra, farmer community, etc.
- RPL at designated centres/camps for geographically scattered workers who need to be mobilized
RPL Type 2 (Employer Premises): The salient features of this project type are:
This type of RPL is conducted on site at the employer’s premises
Orientation hours proposed is 12 hours. In case of employees not being available for 12 hours, a 4-hour one day RPL may be offered with discounted pay-outs
Bridge course up to additional 68 hours based on need and relevance can be added over and above the 12 hours of orientation
Target allocation will be implemented through RFP mode
This will cover both CSCM and CSSM components
PIA Cost and tranches: Rs.1,700/- (for 12 hours) and Rs. 1,200/- (for 4 hours) with payment made in 2 tranches
Candidates going for this RPL type will receive an RPL kit
A certified trainer will provide the orientation
The following can be Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs):
- Registered employers/industry
- SSC recommended industry associations, bodies, and institutions
- Training Providers in response to demand aggregation by District Skill Committees (DSCs), State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs), Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP)
RPL Type 3 (RPL by Demand): The salient features for this project type are:
This type involves RPL at designated Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK)/PMKVY centers
Any individual or District Skill Committees (DSCs) can request for RPL at the available centre for a job role
Orientation hours proposed is 12 hours
This RPL type will not have a bridge Course
Target allocation will be based on demand generated through Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP) at NSDC or by District Skill Committees (DSCs)
This will cover both the CSCM and CSSM components
PIA Cost and tranches: Rs. 1,400/- with payment made in 2 tranches
Candidates going for this RPL type will receive an RPL kit
Certified trainer will provide the orientation
Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs): PMKKs/PMKVY which have been allocated Short-Term Training (STT) targets in PMKVY 3.0 will be eligible
RPL Type 4 (RPL with best-in-class Employers (BICE) - Large corporations/industry and medium scale enterprises): This type of RPL entails:
Best-in-class employer in both large and medium enterprise as per SSC criteria will be selected
Employees of best-in-class employers from all the sectors shall be certified
Senior employees such as supervisors/managers shall act as ‘Employer-Assessors’ in this mode
There is no orientation module in this type. It only has assessment
This type will not have a Bridge course
This will cover the CSCM component
PIA cost and tranches: Rs. 1,200/- with payment made in 1 tranche
Candidates going for this RPL type will not receive an RPL kit
The following can be Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs):
- Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)
- SSC recommended industry bodies/associations
- Best-in-class employer for its own employees
RPL Type 5 (Online RPL): This type of demand based RPL is:
Open to all skill seekers who wish to take an online exam and get certified
This applies to specific job roles where theory and practical are both amenable to be conducted online
Proctoring is executed through video links and other tools and there is no physical proctoring
There is no orientation module in this type
This type will not have a Bridge course
Target allocation will be based on demand generated through Demand Aggregation Portal at NSDC
This will cover only the CSCM component
PIA cost and tranches: Rs. 1,200/- with payment made in 1 tranche
Candidates going for this RPL type will not receive an RPL kit
The following can be Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs): SSCs (for example, IT-ITES offering industry certificates)
The collective names/demand from Demand Portal can go to SSCs which then forms a batch on SIP. The candidates will be remotely proctored, assessed and will then be provided a certificate
For all the five project types under RPL 3.0, these would be common elements: Kaushal Bima (3 years accident insurance), skill card, assessment by SSC, reward money, reassessment module, study material to be provided by Training Provider, monthly performance report submission by TP, penalty grid, revocation matrix, passing criteria, branding guidelines and term sheet signing process.
Eligibility Criteria:
Who can go for RPL?
RPL is applicable for any candidate of Indian nationality who:
- Is of age between 18-45 years
- Has prior experience in the job role for which they want RPL certification and as specified by the SSCs for those job roles
- Possesses an Aadhaar card and Aadhaar linked bank account
- Fulfils other criteria related to work experience as defined by the SSCs for the respective job roles
- If target beneficiaries belong to higher age groups than those specified in point 1, the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) would have to get this approved during the sanction from the PMKVY 3.0 Executive Committee/State level Empowered Committee.
RPL Process:
Process Overview:
The overall RPL process comprises of five steps, as specified below. While this is a general process for RPL types 1, 2, and 3, the guidelines need to be referred to for project types 4 and 5
For RPL project types 4 and 5:
- Kindly refer to the guidelines of RPL by best-in-class employers on the PMKVY portal for details
- Type 5 online RPL will also follow the same model for Demand Aggregation. However, the candidates will be assigned to concerned SSCs which will create a batch and then carry out remotely proctored assessment
Five-step RPL process
TP itself
DSCs/SSDM/SSC/Demand Portal
Online Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP) created by NSDC (only for type 3 and 5) for CSCM (Know more tab)
Know more DAP - Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 3.0) has introduced a new type of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning), where the candidate would log on to the Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP) and register themselves for the assessment of job roles already existing on the DAP
- Under this, assessment will be proctored online and conducted remotely without the physical presence of the candidate and assessor
- Remotely Proctored Online Assessments (RPOA) is an online assessment process of candidates proctored remotely through a video link and AI enabled support
- In this mode of RPL, the prospective RPL candidates register themselves on PMKVY Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP) and select the job role provided it is being offered for online certification by the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)
- The unemployed youth between the age group of 18 years to 35 years who already have minimum one year of prior experience in the same job role, in which the candidate would want to get assessed and certified through DAP
- Please visit https://skillindia.nsdcindia.org/rpl-dap to register
Pre-registration of candidates is mandatory for enrolment in the program
Candidates mobilized should strictly follow the overall eligibility criteria as specified in the guidelines. PIAs must ensure candidate’s willingness to participate in the RPL program
RPL by Demand, Type 3, will use the Demand Aggregation Portal (DAP) capturing the direct demand for RPL certification by interested candidates. Candidates here have the option of choosing the location of a PMKK centre and specific job role on which they wish to take the training
Online RPL, Type 5, direct demand for RPL certification by interested candidates shall be captured through Demand Aggregation Portal. SSCs will conduct remotely proctored online assessment for candidates
Demand Aggregation Portal
To know more about RPL Demand Aggregation Portal please visit the link below.
Step 2: Pre-Screening and Counselling: For all RPL project types, the following pre-screening and counselling instructions should be adopted:
PIAs shall engage SSC/Awarding Body approved trainers who have completed the Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, for counselling and pre-screening of candidates
PIAs are to evaluate the existing skill sets and experience of the candidates based on pre-screening format set by respective SSCs for each job role and a self-assessment test
Potential candidates must be counselled by the PIA/trainer in the following areas:
- A brief about MSDE, Skill India programme and RPL processes
- Eligibility criteria for appearing for RPL certification
- The benefits of RPL certification and how to avail those benefits
- Possible career progression (vertical and horizontal)
- Employment opportunity (both wage and self) with learned skill
In addition to this, the induction video on RPL under PMKVY should be shown to the candidates at this stage
After counselling, the RPL facilitator would need to conduct a robust and thorough pre-screening of the candidates to ascertain which job role matches with their prior knowledge and experience most and to identify knowledge gaps, if any. The pre-screening process is divided into following two parts:
- PART 1: The collection of supporting documentation and evidence from the candidate - SSCs to specify the personal information required and the supporting documentation that may be available for the job role
- PART 2: Candidate self-assessment for assessing the previous knowledge of the candidate
Candidates shall be enrolled under the scheme upon completion of counselling, pre-screening, and registration. At the time of enrolment, it is mandatory for candidates to have valid Aadhaar and active bank accounts. If a candidate does not have an Aadhaar number and/or a bank account, the PIA is required to facilitate the same prior to the enrolment of candidate under the scheme
Step 3: Orientation: The following orientation guidelines shall be adopted for all RPL project types:
Minimum duration of orientation (12 Hours and 4 Hours)
- PIA shall ensure that each enrolled candidate mandatorily undergoes a basic module of 12 hours of orientation
- This orientation must be delivered in a classroom setting. The PIA shall arrange the necessary training infrastructure and required laboratory/equipment at the RPL location as per the requirements defined by respective Sector Skill Council (SSC) for the identified job roles
- Orientation content will be designed by the TP, industry experts and vetted by the SSC
Bridge course option for upskilling: In addition to the 12 hours of orientation, a PIA may also propose a Bridge course for RPL type 1 and 2 to be imparted to target beneficiaries, as deemed appropriate. Given below are the salient features of the Bridge course:
- Bridge course duration will be up to 68 hours and will be an addition to the standard 12 hours of the orientation module. The Executive Committee may increase the total duration beyond 80 hours for a specific project
- The proposed Bridge course may be but not necessarily based on both core NOSs and non-core NOSs of the job role. PIAs may undertake customized content subject to the approval of the Executive Committee
- The content for Bridge courses will need to be validated by the SSC. The additional topics and sub-topics that will be covered in the Bridge course need to be aligned with skill gaps and demand/requirement of target audience as substantiated in the project proposal
- If approved, pay-out to PIA for the Bridge course will be in accordance with common norms. The same shall be over and above the base RPL (12- hour orientation) pay-out to PIA per candidate
- Where on-the-job-training with employers/industry is weaved into the Bridge course, the pay-out for the bridge will remain the same to promote OJT/industry exposure for candidates
RPL kit: For RPL types 1, 2 and 3, the PIA shall provide an RPL kit that will mandatorily have the following items:
- 01 Standard PMKVY T-shirt (for males)/jacket or T-shirt (for females and transgender) [*Females and transgender will be allowed to opt either for T-shirt or jacket]
- 01 Standard PMKVY cap
- Study material for that the job role
- Job role related items such as tools, items which can be useful at workplace, etc. (this is optional)
Step 4: Final assessment: For all project types, the following assessment guidelines shall be adopted:
The scores of self-assessment and online training modules (if taken) will be available to the candidate and monitors during visit
Assessments under RPL shall be conducted in a manner like the Short-Term Training component of PMKVY (2020-2021) in accordance with the NSQF
Common Assessment Centre (CAC) is proposed under PMKVY 3.0 to ensure quality and transparency during the assessment process with emphasis on online assessment system for theoretical and practical assessment (as far as possible, endeavour will be made) shall be planned. Such initiatives will further increase the overall credibility of certification. Every CAC will be available with the necessary tools and infrastructure for conducting assessment of the job roles
It is the responsibility of PIA to make sure that the equipment specified by SSC is available for assessment. The same should be checked by the assessor and monitors
Online assessments will be promoted wherever possible
The following may be added to the pool of assessment and certification process in consultation with NCVET to maintain a robust and smooth process of accreditation and certification:
- Academic institutions
- Industry bodies
- Government ITIs/National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs)/Regional Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDEs) /State Directorate
Marks scored in the core NOSs of a QP shall be given 70% weightage in the total score. The remaining 30% weightage shall be from the non-core NOSs
For example: A QP has five NOSs (three core and two non-core). A candidate scores 240 marks out of 300 in the three core NOS and 160 out of 200 in the two non-core NOSs. The total score of the candidate will be (240 / 300 x 70) + (160 / 200 x 30) = 80 out of 100
Candidates who achieve greater than or equal to the pass percentage for a QP, shall be awarded the skill certificate, marksheet and a pay-out of Rs. 500/-. Certified candidates will also receive a grade (A/B/C) on the skill certificate (kindly refer table 4.2 for the grading criteria)
Candidates who score less than 30% of the total score, shall receive only the marksheet and be encouraged to undergo Short-Term Training under PMKVY
Only those candidates who have valid Aadhaar and an Aadhaar linked bank account shall be issued the skill certificate/marksheet/pay-out, as applicable, in accordance with criteria mentioned
Capturing high quality pictures and videos, attendance sheets and other documents as a proof of training are to be retained by the PIA for at least one year after the closure of the project
Towards the end of final assessment, the PIA shall ensure candidates fill up the candidate feedback form available in regional languages. These forms should be confidential and the process for the same will be developed
Step 5: Certification: For all project types, the following instructions shall be adopted in relation to certification and pay-out guidelines:
| Grade | Strong Range |
|---|---|
| NSQF Level 1, 2 and 3 | |
| A | 85% and above |
| B | > 70% to < 85% |
| C | 50% to 70% |
| NSQF Level 4 and above | |
| A | 85% and above |
| B | > 70% to < 85% |
SSCs need to quickly validate and approve the results uploaded by the CACs/AAs of the final assessment within a specified timeline
It is the responsibility of the TP to ensure that candidates receive their RPL certificates, along with the RPL skill card and marksheet
Candidates will be provided skill certificate/marksheet/pay-out (Rs. 500/-) based on their eligibility
The pay-out of Rs. 500/- will be directly deposited to the candidate’s bank account. Only candidates with valid bank account details are to be considered for processing of the pay-out amount
PIAs need to ensure that accurate bank details of candidates are captured on SIP upon enrolment
All RPL certified candidates shall receive accident insurance of three years. A unique policy number of the accident insurance is mentioned on the certificate that is to be awarded to respective certified candidates
High resolution pictures and videos needs to be taken for the certificate and marksheet distribution ceremony including the batch-wise photos of candidates. PIAs need to upload images and videos on a portal designated by NSDC
Step 6: Reassessment
A failed or a dropped-out candidate can undergo a reassessment. A second chance for undergoing assessment shall be provided to unsuccessful candidates. Reassessments will be carried out as per PMKVY guidelines and will be paid by the TP
Monitoring Framework:
Monitoring Framework and Quality Evaluation
If the project does not start within a month after project approval, it will automatically be cancelled
The project will be evaluated against certain time milestones and if the progress is not satisfactory, one or all the following will be adopted, as per penalty matrix:
- Revocation of targets
- Deduction from pay-outs as monetary penalization
- Closure of the project
NSDC, SSDM and DSC will be actively involved in the monitoring of projects
Monitoring and evaluation will have specific emphasis on ensuring quality in assessment and making RPL certification aspirational in the country
Monitoring parameters would also include the provision of infrastructure, the availability of tools and equipment during orientation and assessment (as validated by the SSC), the provision of mandatory kits to all participants, the provision of study material to all participants, etc.
All the trainings conducted are to be supported by a biometric attendance system unless mentioned otherwise during approval
The implementation of the training project by a PIA will be subject to monitoring under the PMKVY scheme. The PIA must be willing to declare the accounts and bank statements (pertaining to the project) to the Government and/or Government/NSDC empanelled auditors at any time during and after completion of the project
The training programs of PIAs will be evaluated through onsite monitoring and random physical verification visits by DSC/SSC/SSDM/NSDC
SSCs may be involved in monitoring of ongoing training programs at various stages of implementation
The implementing agency/coordinating agency will be required to submit the progress reports in the given formats from time to time