GS Paper II — Q7
'Earn while you learn' scheme needs to be strengthened to make vocational education and skill training meaningful." Comment…
'Earn while you learn' scheme needs to be strengthened to make vocational education and skill training meaningful." Comment. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
"व्यावसायिक शिक्षा और कौशल प्रशिक्षण को सार्थक बनाने के लिए 'सीखते हुए कमाना (अर्न व्हाइल यू लर्न)' की योजना को सशक्त करने की आवश्यकता है।" टिप्पणी कीजिए। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(a) Key gaps: 'Earn while you learn' is operationalised mainly through apprenticeships under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). Stipends (about ₹5,000–9,000 a month under the 2019 rules) are low against living costs, excluding poorer youth. Weak monitoring and industry-academia disconnect reduce apprenticeships to cheap labour rather than structured learning. Social stigma against vocational tracks and the lack of vertical progression to higher education deter uptake.
(b) Measures needed: Index stipends to inflation. Introduce dual certification, pairing academic credit with NSQF-aligned skill certificates, to give vocational tracks parity of esteem. Use transparent digital portals for quality audits. Adopt features of Germany's dual VET model, where employers co-own curricula, and link newer efforts like the PM Internship Scheme (2024) to this framework.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS2 Governance & Social Justice (Vocational Education)
What earns full marks: Sharp analysis of the scheme's mechanics, specific examples of failure, and actionable, realistic reforms.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- The answer Contextualize the scheme, analyze its current gaps, and provide a judgment on necessary reforms. 10 marks · 150 words
comment— context → arguments both sides → judgment → close
Must cover
- Define 'Earn while you learn' (e.g., apprenticeship/NSDC model)
- Identify specific weaknesses (e.g., industry disconnect, low wages)
- Provide a clear judgment on the need for strengthening
- Suggest 2-3 concrete measures for meaningful skill training
Loses marks
- Reciting general education policy without focusing on 'earn while learn'
- Vague suggestions without specific institutional or policy changes
- Ignoring the 'meaningful' aspect of the prompt
Earns more
- Mention specific schemes (NSDC, PMKVY, Apprenticeship Act)
- Reference industry-academia collaboration gaps
- Discuss the 'meaningful' aspect (employability vs. mere training)
Extra mark
- Cite specific data on skill mismatch or unemployment
- Reference 2nd ARC or Law Commission recommendations on education
What "Comment" is asking you to do
Take a position on the statement and support it. Comment usually attaches to a quoted line in the short slots, so the reasoning must be compressed — an opening view, a few load-bearing reasons, and the limit of the claim.
Structure that answers it
Unpack what the statement asserts → your stance → two or three supporting reasons → the qualification that limits it
Where marks are lost
Neutral summary; a comment without a stance has not answered. Equally costly is accepting the quoted line wholesale and never testing where it fails.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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