Pillar: Education & Training
A Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) is a branded training centre under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) that provides short-term skill training -- typically 300 to 600 hours -- in job roles such as assistant electrician, self-employed tailor, retail sales associate, or data entry operator. Training is completely free. The government pays a private Training Partner to run the centre, train candidates, get them certified by a Sector Skill Council (SSC), and support placement. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) are not government offices -- they are operated by private companies contracted through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
If you want a free short-term skill course that comes with a recognised certificate and placement support, PMKK centres offer exactly that. You pay nothing -- verify this, as the training is mandated to be free.
- Deliver NSQF-aligned free courses of 300-600 hours in specific job roles - Record Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance daily - Facilitate end-of-training assessment by an independent SSC-empanelled assessor; candidates who pass receive an SSC certificate - Provide placement support. (PMKVY 1.0-3.0 tied government payments to training providers to candidate placement outcomes; PMKVY 4.0 delinks payment from placement so providers are paid for certified, trained candidates regardless of placement. 70% biometric attendance remains the assessment-eligibility threshold.) - Include Employability Skills modules covering workplace safety, financial literacy, digital literacy, and communication - On-the-Job Training (OJT) is compulsory under PMKVY 4.0 Short-Term Training (STT); commencement and completion details (duration, attendance, certificate) uploaded to the Skill India Digital (SID) portal. Non-compliance attracts penalties graded under the PMKVY 4.0 Annexure V severity matrix. - Every Short-Term Training and Special Projects candidate is tracked for one year post-certification. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) runs the tracking centrally — via the SID profile, app-based tracking, WhatsApp/chatbot, and one mandated quarterly call per year (four calls in total). PMKKs feed the upstream data into SID during training (attendance, OJT certificates, assessment uploads); the post-certification phase is NSDC-managed.
Portal: skillindiadigital.gov.in -- search for training centres by state, district, and sector for active centres and batch status Also: Call the Skill India helpline at 1800-309-1920 for information on centres in your area; or contact the District Skill Committee through the District Magistrate's office
For what this looks like in a particular district, start from the district courses or the English reference guide (Hindi).