The use of “11111111111” as the bank account number; the same photograph used for multiple beneficiaries; payouts pending for more than 34 lakh candidates; and shuttered training centres.These are some of the glaring irregularities identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in the implementation of the Centre’s flagship skills training initiative, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), in three phases from 2015-2022.The CAG findings were detailed in an audit report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. They are significant because PMKVY has been one of the major interventions by the Government to provide skills training to combat joblessness among youth — according to available data, the unemployment rate was 15 per cent in the age group of 15-29 years in May 2025.The skills scheme was launched in July 2015 to enable a large number of youth to take up industry-relevant skill training and certification.Its three phases between 2015 and 2022 had an outlay of around Rs 14,450 crore with a combined target of providing skill training and certifications to 1.32 crore candidates. The first phase was launched in 2015-16, the second during 2016-20, and the third in 2021-22, with 1.1 crore candidates certified across this period.The anomalies in bank account numbers recorded on the Skill India Portal (SIP) were found during the CAG’s audit of candidates’ electronic identities and contact details.“Analysis of data related to PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0 revealed that ‘bankAccountdetails’ field contained zeros, ‘Null’, ‘N/A’ or was blank in case of 90,66,264 of total 95,90,801 participants i.e., for 94.53 per cent of the cases. In the case of the remaining 5,24,537 candidates, 12,122 unique bank account numbers were repeated for 52,381 participants in two or more instances as detailed,” the CAG found.Story continues below this ad“Even in cases of use of single account for one candidate (472156 unique accounts for each candidate), instances of apparent wrong account numbers were noticed viz., ‘11111111111…’, ‘123456…’, single digit account numbers, or just text, names, address, or special characters, etc,” the report statedThe CAG noted that its “analysis of account number field in PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0 data did not provide adequate assurance about the identity of participants of this scheme”.The report also detailed the ministry’s explanation in May 2023 “that initially account details was a mandatory field on SIP, but it was made non-mandatory later due to problems at ground level implementation”.“(The) Ministry further added that the disbursement to candidates was to be done on the basis of Aadhaar seeding which supports pay-outs directly into their Aadhaar linked bank account and eliminates the need to collect bank account number,” the CAG said.Story continues below this adThe CAG stated that it examined the veracity of the Ministry’s reply by analysing the details of candidate payouts made through DBT in 2023. “…DBT payments were processed only for 24.53 lakh certified candidates (25.58 per cent) and were successful for only 17.69 lakh candidates (18.44 per cent) under PMKVY 2.0 and 3.0. As reported by the Ministry in October 2024, out of 95.91 lakh candidates, 61.14 lakh (63.75 per cent) have been paid through DBT,” the CAG report stated.“The details indicate that due to insufficient information, pay-outs to more than 34 lakh certified candidates still have not been made even after the completion of the respective PMKVY phases. Moreover, the Ministry did not provide information regarding the efforts made to ensure payments to these candidates and those certified without ‘bankAccountdetails’,” the report stated.According to the report, the CAG also conducted an online beneficiary survey and found “a high email delivery failure rate of 36.51 per cent (1,581 emails) and in cases where the email was delivered, there was response from only 3.95 per cent (171 candidates)”. Of the 171 responses received, 131 belonged to the same email ID or were from the IDs of training partners and centres, the report said.The CAG’s audit also found that several of the scheme’s training centres were shut. “In Bihar, out of the three closed (centres), the SIP data of one located in Banka district indicated that the training for its two batches…was scheduled on the date of physical inspection,” the report said.Story continues below this adThe CAG also found instances of skill certification by employers who do not merit classification as ‘Best-in-Class’, the report said. It also noted discrepancies in photographic evidence of training conducted as the same photos were provided for multiple beneficiaries in UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.Detailing the importance of such details in the scheme’s implementation, the CAG report stated: “Candidate registration mechanism adopted in SIP required mandatory filling in of contact details, including mobile number, bank account number and email, to establish their electronic identity and contact with candidates. PMKVY guidelines also mandated the candidates to have a valid bank account.“Otherwise, the Project Implementing Agency was to facilitate the same for the candidate and ensure that accurate bank details of candidates are captured on the IT system upon enrolment. Mapping of the bank account number of candidates was also important as the guidelines provisioned for pay-out of Rs 500 to each certified candidate through Direct Benefit Transfer.”Responding to a request from The Indian Express for comment on the CAG’s findings, the Ministry said in a statement that it has “significantly strengthened” the scheme, “drawing on past learning and implementation experience to institute strong corrective measures and deepen accountability”.Story continues below this adIt said that “the scheme now operates with technology-enabled monitoring, Aadhaar-authenticated e-KYC, enhanced regulatory oversight, and the Skill India Digital Hub to enable unified data, transparency, and effective beneficiary tracking”.According to the Ministry, “Face-authentication and geo-tagged attendance have been mandated; a live attendance dashboard has been operationalised; and Central Communication Layer (CCL)–based candidate feedback mechanisms are being used for ongoing course correction.”Referring to other measures, it said, “Certification authentication has been strengthened through QR-coded digital certificates, while financial accountability has been reinforced through strict verification-linked disbursals. Large-scale virtual and physical inspections are being undertaken through the Kaushal Samiksha Kendra, supported by revised monitoring guidelines, a defined penalty framework, and strong disciplinary action including suspension, blacklisting, and recovery from non-compliant entities.”