Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan released the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme 2.0 Portal and paid apprentices stipends of Rs 100 crore via direct benefit transfer (DBT). According to him, these apprentices are receiving training in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, IT, and the automotive industry. He stated that many beneficiaries are anticipated to register and submit applications for apprenticeships through the NATS 2.0 portal.
“A significant number of young graduates and diploma holders will be supported in attaining employability skills, accompanied by a guaranteed monthly stipend,” the Union Minister said.
According to him, NATS Portal 2.0 represents a major initiative to democratize apprenticeship, close the skills gap, fulfill the hopes of young people, and prepare them for the future. According to him, the newly created platform will increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities and facilitate the matching of job seekers and businesses. The minister also urged all businesses and educational establishments to sign up for the NATS 2.0 platform. “The government has initiated the payment of its share of stipend directly to the apprentices’ bank accounts through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) mechanism in 2024 to ensure that the stipendiary benefits of NATS are delivered to intended apprentices in a time-bound, efficient, and transparent manner,” he stated.
According to him, the goal is to increase the DBT system’s usage so that all program participants would receive the government’s portion of the stipend. According to him, the NEP 2020 seeks to remove obstacles between various educational streams and mainstream vocational education.
“It emphasises integrating general and vocational education to ensure vertical and horizontal mobility for students. In alignment with NEP 2020, draft guidelines have been issued by UGC and AICTE for Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP),” the Union Minister said.
