Young India Skills University Under Fire Over Training Numbers After ₹188 Crore Expenditure
The criticism centres on a comparison with the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), which was established during the previous BRS government to provide skill development and employment-oriented training to Telangana youth.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s Young India Skills University has come under criticism over its performance, with allegations that the institution trained only around 1,000 students in two years despite an expenditure of approximately ₹188 crore.
The criticism centres on a comparison with the Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK), which was established during the previous BRS government to provide skill development and employment-oriented training to Telangana youth.
According to the allegations, TASK trained around 8.37 lakh students between 2015 and 2023, while Young India Skills University has trained only about 1,000 students since its launch. Critics have questioned why a new institution was created when TASK was already functioning as a state-level skill development platform.
The Young India Skills University was announced by the Congress government after it came to power in December 2023, with the stated objective of improving employment opportunities and providing industry-oriented training to young people. The foundation stone for the university was laid in August 2024.
Critics argue that instead of creating a parallel institution, the government could have strengthened TASK and expanded its partnerships with educational institutions and private training organisations.
They also claim that of the approximately 1,000 students who underwent training through the new institution, around 300 are now working as delivery personnel for platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato. However, these claims and the employment figures have not been independently verified.
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TASK was established in June 2015 with the objective of bridging the gap between academic education and industry requirements. The institution partnered with educational institutions and companies to provide students with training in skills aligned with employment opportunities.
According to figures cited by critics, TASK trained more than 11,000 students during its first year, while its annual training numbers increased substantially over subsequent years. In 2023, the final year of the previous BRS government, TASK reportedly trained around 1.84 lakh students.
The contrasting figures have prompted questions over the effectiveness and implementation of Young India Skills University. Critics have accused the Revanth Reddy government of weakening an existing skill-development system instead of building upon it.
The government, however, is expected to face growing scrutiny over the university’s expenditure, training capacity and employment outcomes as the institution expands its operations. Further official data on the university’s performance will be crucial in assessing whether it can achieve its stated objective of providing industry-ready skills and employment opportunities to Telangana’s youth.
