Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the aspirations of India’s youth represent the country’s “greatest capital”, highlighting the role of public participation in policymaking during a post-Budget webinar on the proposed Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana.
Addressing the webinar, PM Modi described the post-Budget consultation process as an example of Jan Bhagidari and said young people from villages, towns and cities are increasingly eager to innovate and contribute to the country’s future.
He said that as India moves towards an innovation-driven economy, the education system must continue to modernise to unlock the potential of the country’s youth. The Prime Minister also noted that lakhs of stakeholders, experts and beneficiaries are participating in these consultations and contributing ideas for the implementation of the Union Budget.
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar said the announcement of the Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana in the Union Budget is aimed at strengthening employment-linked skill development for persons with disabilities.
He said partnerships among government, industry and civil society will be essential to ensure that skill development programmes translate into meaningful and dignified employment opportunities.
Experts participating in the discussions said market-linked skill programmes for persons with disabilities should align community aspirations with industry demand and integrate them into mainstream education, STEM learning and employment ecosystems.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of inclusive hiring, accessible training tools, entrepreneurship opportunities, digital platforms and AI-enabled remote work for persons with disabilities. Participants emphasised the need for structured job-matching systems and roles such as accessibility auditing.
The post-Budget webinar on Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana, held on March 9 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, focused on developing a demand-driven and industry-linked skilling ecosystem, with attention to rural outreach and specialised vocational training through Centres of Excellence.
Closing the session, Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary in the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, said discussions across five pillars — passion, perseverance, possibilities, potential and pilot — highlighted the need for skilling initiatives that are demand-driven, accessible and closely linked to employment outcomes.
She said the deliberations reflected a broader commitment among government, industry and civil society to strengthen disability-inclusive skilling and translate policy intent into measurable outcomes.
