The DDU-GKY (previously Aajeevika) is a programme with a mission to transform India’s poor rural youth into an economically independent and globally relevant workforce.
It was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in 2014 and is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). The programme aims to diversify incomes of rural poor families and enhance the skills of the youth.
DDU-GKY is uniquely focused on rural youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from poor families. As a part of the Skill India campaign, it plays an instrumental role in supporting the social and economic programs of the government like the Make In India, Digital India, Smart Cities and Start-Up India, Stand-Up India campaigns. Over 180 million youth population between the ages of 18 and 34 years, the bottom of the pyramid or the youth from poor families with no or marginal employment is estimated to be about 55 million.
