The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has launched a major push to accelerate rural youth employment, kickstarting a two-day State-Level Capacity Building Programme on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0 in Bhubaneswar today.
Inaugurated by Shri Rabi Narayan Naik, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Government of Odisha, the workshop aims to sharpen programme execution and expand sustainable livelihood opportunities across the state.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Naik underscored that skill development is the bedrock of achieving the visions of Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047. Calling the state’s youth its greatest strength, he urged stakeholders to equip young people with industry-aligned skills. He placed special emphasis on unlocking the potential of youth from tribal, KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput), Aspirational, and Western Odisha districts so they can tap into emerging opportunities in high-growth economic sectors.
Delivering the welcome address, Dr Monica Priyadarshini, CEO of ORMAS, shared key milestones from Odisha’s skilling journey. Since DDU-GKY’s inception, the state has trained nearly 2.10 lakh rural youth, successfully placing over 1.23 lakh candidates across diverse industries.
Looking ahead, Odisha has been tasked with training 62,050 rural youth between 2025 and 2028, backed by an approved outlay of nearly Rs 750 crore. With 115 projects already sanctioned, Dr Priyadarshini stressed that the priority must now shift toward high-quality training delivery, timely rollout, and lasting job outcomes.
Organised under the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, the programme convened senior officials and technical experts from the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), National Informatics Centre (NIC), NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS), National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), and the Technical Support Agency (TSA) team from Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, alongside Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) from across Odisha.
Over the two days, experts will lead deep-dive technical sessions covering DDU-GKY 2.0 guidelines, the Unified IT Platform, trainee mobilisation, financial protocols, and post-placement tracking. By strengthening institutional capacity at the grassroots, the initiative aims to ensure smoother implementation and stronger career pathways for Odisha’s rural workforce.
