Skill Development Under Vibrant Villages Programme:
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship convened a capacity-building workshop under the Vibrant Villages Programme(VVP) to accelerate skill-led development in border regions.
- MSDE is enabling demand-driven, locally relevant skilling initiatives to enhance livelihood opportunities, integrating skill development with regional economic needs.
- The initiative promotes peer learning, innovation, and responsive implementation to ensure skilling translates into sustainable livelihood generation in strategically important border areas.
- Vibrant Villages Programme led by the Ministry of Home Affairs, aims to transform 662 border villages into self-reliant, well-connected “first villages,” aligning with the goal of “Viksit Gaon for Viksit Bharat.”
- The initiative seeks to make local residents the “eyes and ears” of the Border Guarding Forces and wean them away from illicit activities and trans-border crimes.
- It also aims to prevent the migration of border populations to urban areas, which creates a security vacuum and leads to demographic changes by creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.
- Launched in 2023 to develop villages along the China border, the Vibrant Villages Programme was expanded as VVP-II, a 100% centrally funded Central Sector Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in April 2025.
- States Covered Under VVP-II The programme spans Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
- The strategy involves the saturation of existing government schemes, strengthening basic infrastructure, and developing these villages as “growth centres” to ensure economic and cultural assimilation with the nation.
- The MHA emphasizes “culturally sensitive” outreach activities to build trust between border security agencies and local communities, encouraging them to report suspicious activities.
