Explanation:

The Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched two ambitious projects- Revival of Namda craft of Kashmir as a special pilot project under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 and Upskilling of artisans and weavers of Kashmir under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), component of PMKVY.

The objective of these projects is to boost and preserve the traditional Namda craft of Kashmir and upskill the local weavers and artisans of the UT to enhance their productivity through RPL assessment and certification.

After his visit to Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir recently, the minister in charge had expressed the need to organise a project for the preservation and revival of dying traditional crafts of the region as the handicraft sector is the major employment generator there.

It was observed that the heritage and traditional skill clusters required skilled artisans from villages to meet the demand for traditional crafts in Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir. This initiative aims at industry and market linkage, encouraging micro-entrepreneurship.