The Vasundhara Raje government (2003-2008) was the first in India to establish a Mission on Livelihood (RMoL) in 2004. To meet the challenges of employment and ensuring sustainable gainful employment with specific focus on youth, women and disadvantaged sections of society, the objective of this Mission was to formulate appropriate and innovative strategies to promote and facilitate large-scale livelihoods. This philosophy required two areas of intervention – livelihood initiatives and skill development programmes.

The Rajasthan Mission on Livelihoods went on to train more than 85,000 people in 192 courses in 34 economic sectors. The Mission was emulated at the National level and itself saw a transition to the Rajasthan State Livelihoods Development Corporation. In January 2014, this was expanded and given a new role of overseeing livelihoods creation and job oriented capacity building. The body now has nominated members from industries and other experts.

Today, the country’s first “Aajivika Skills Development Programme Center” of the Government of India is under Rajasthan Mission. A target of training one lakh rural poor has been given to the Livelihoods Development Corporation. All vocational training providers in the state are registered with the Corporation and the Corporation partners 43 business houses in training youth in specific trades AND linking them to guaranteed jobs at the end of the training programme.

At the behest of the Chief Minister, ITE, Singapore, is consulting the state government in developing ITI, Udaipur, into a world-class training and skill development center. Soon, a dedicated Skills University shall be in place in the state.