In a move to promote apprenticeship among youth as a pathway to create a skilled workforce, the government has notified a hike in apprenticeship stipends to the range of Rs 6,800–12,300, up from the existing Rs 5,000–9,000, by amending the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 37 of the Apprentices Act, 1961 (52 of 1961), after consulting the Central Apprenticeship Council, the central government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992,” the Ministry said in a notification.
The revised stipend will apply to apprentices under both the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS), among others.
In addition, the government notified other changes such as promoting degree apprenticeships, enabling remote and virtual apprenticeships, expanding the scope of regional boards, extending coverage of industries as per the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2008, and ensuring inclusivity for persons with benchmark disabilities.
The notification follows recommendations of the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC), the apex statutory decision-making body for apprenticeship rules, under the aegis of Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), which had proposed these changes in May.
“These decisions reflect our unwavering commitment to strengthening the apprenticeship ecosystem as a bridge between education and employment. By making apprenticeship more flexible, inclusive, and future-ready, we are empowering India’s youth with dignity of labour, global exposure, and inflation-protected financial support. These reforms will ensure that every young person—whether from rural areas, urban centres, or diverse backgrounds—has the opportunity to learn, earn, and contribute meaningfully to the journey of Viksit Bharat,” Chaudhary told Business Standard.
The notification also said each establishment shall engage apprentices in a band of 2.5–15 per cent of its total strength, including contractual staff, subject to a minimum of 5 per cent.
“If the prescribed training places for fresher apprentices and skill certificate holder apprentices cannot be filled, then the training places lying unfilled may be filled by other categories of apprentices with the approval of the apprenticeship adviser,” it stated.
It further said there shall be a minimum one-year gap between two apprenticeship trainings, provided that the previous training is completed. No gap will be required in case of termination of the earlier apprenticeship due to failure.
Apprenticeship training in India is conducted under the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS), administered by the Ministry of Education, and the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (PM-NAPS), run by MSDE.
Under PM-NAPS, the government contributes Rs 1,500 or 25 per cent of the stipend amount, while under NATS, the contribution is 50 per cent. Latest data show that since 2020-21, nearly 3.6 million apprentices have been engaged under NAPS and 1.29 million under NATS, taking the total to 4.84 million over five years till 2024-25.