How to apply for NAPS — National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme — complete 2026 guide

In FY 2024-25, NAPS engaged over 18 lakh apprentices across nearly 75,000 establishments (DGT dashboard, March 2026). The 25% stipend reimbursement disbursed in FY 2024-25 alone crossed ₹3,200 crore. About 62% of NAPS apprentices in the engineering / automobile / electronics trades are absorbed full-time by the same establishment within 6 months of completion (DGT outcome study, 2025).

The Apprentices Act, 1961 is the parent law. It made apprenticeship a structured, contractual, government-recognised period of practical training for designated and optional trades. The NAPS scheme (launched 2016, restructured as NAPS 2.0 from FY 2022-23) added the financial incentive to employers — 25% of the prescribed stipend capped at ₹1,500/month per apprentice — and built the unified apprenticeshipindia.gov.in portal as the single workflow for engagement, contracts, stipend reimbursement, and certification.

Apprentice categories (and typical stipend floors w.e.f. 2024 revision):

• School pass-out (Class 5-9): ~₹5,000/month
• School pass-out (Class 10-12): ~₹6,000/month
• ITI / NCVT certificate holders: ~₹7,000/month
• Diploma holders (technician apprentices, under BOAT/BOPT): ~₹8,000/month
• Graduate apprentices (engineering / non-engineering, under BOAT/BOPT): ~₹9,000/month
• Optional trade / non-engineering grads: lender flexibility on stipend; many establishments pay above the floor.

The exact stipend floors are notified in Schedule 1 of the Apprenticeship Rules and revised periodically (last revision before this guide: late 2024). Establishments may always pay above the floor; many do (Senthil's ₹9,400 example).

You are eligible to apply as an apprentice if all of the following are true:

• You are at least 14 years old (18 for hazardous trades — designated under Schedule of dangerous occupations).
• You meet the minimum educational qualification for the trade you're applying for (varies — Class 5 for some basic trades; ITI/diploma/degree for higher ones).
• You meet the physical fitness standard prescribed for that trade.
• You are not currently registered as an apprentice elsewhere (one-active-apprenticeship rule).

You are eligible as an establishment if:

• You employ 30 or more workers (mandatory engagement of apprentices @2.5%-15% of total strength under §8 of the Apprentices Act).
• Establishments with 4-29 workers: optional but eligible for NAPS reimbursement.
• Establishments with <4 workers: not covered.

• Go to https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in
• Click “Candidate Registration”.
• Aadhaar OTP-based registration — your name, DOB, gender auto-pull from UIDAI.
• Add: educational qualifications (with marksheet uploads — Class 10, Class 12, ITI, diploma, degree as applicable), trade preferences, location preferences, photo, bank account (Aadhaar-seeded — mandatory for stipend DBT).
• 14-digit apprentice ID generated immediately. Save it.

• Portal shows openings filtered by state, district, trade, establishment, category (school / ITI / diploma / graduate / optional).
• Apply to as many as you wish — no limit. Establishments will shortlist.
• Some popular sources: TVS Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj, Hero MotoCorp, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Motors, Bosch, Bharat Electronics, public sector banks, Indian Railways (RRB), state PSUs, IT majors (TCS-NQT linked apprenticeship intake).
• Many establishments also recruit through placement cells of ITIs and engineering colleges — keep that channel open too.

• Establishment conducts interview / aptitude / practical (varies).
• On selection, a standard apprenticeship contract is generated on the portal.
• Both parties e-sign with Aadhaar OTP — no paper, no stamp paper.
• Contract specifies: trade, duration (6-36 months), monthly stipend, working hours, leaves, completion test schedule.

• For designated trades, you may need a short Basic Training (BT) module if you don't already have an ITI background — typically 3 months at a state ITI / NSDC partner training centre.
• For optional trades and graduate apprenticeship, BT is usually skipped.
• On-job training (OJT) starts immediately after BT (or after joining if no BT needed).

• Establishment pays the full stipend to your bank account every month.
• Government reimburses 25% of prescribed stipend (capped ₹1,500/month/apprentice) to the establishment via DBT — not to you. (Common confusion: many candidates think the ₹1,500 comes to them. It doesn't — it offsets the establishment's cost.)
• Stipend should land by the 10th of the next month. If delayed beyond 30 days, escalate.
• Stipend is not salary — no PF / ESI deductions during apprenticeship period (unless establishment opts in voluntarily).

• Maintain a log book / training diary signed by your supervisor monthly. (Many establishments now do this digitally on the NAPS portal.)
• Quarterly attendance uploaded by establishment — visible on your apprentice login.

• For designated trades: appear for All India Trade Test (AITT) at the end of contract, conducted by NCVT — written + practical.
• For graduate / technician apprenticeship under BOAT/BOPT: completion based on performance assessment + project report — no central trade test.
• On passing: National Apprenticeship Certificate / Proficiency Certificate (POC) issued — recognised by Government of India and equivalent to ITI-NCVT certification for many job and higher-education purposes.
• Certificate downloadable from the portal in PDF; printed copy can be requested from RDSDE.

• Establishment may offer full-time employment (Senthil's case).
• Alternatively, use the POC + apprenticeship experience to apply elsewhere — many PSUs now give weightage to NAPS-completed candidates in entry-level recruitment.
• You can also enrol for higher apprenticeship or degree-level lateral entry — DGT has tie-ups with several universities.

• Register at https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in → “Establishment Registration” → CIN/LLPIN/PAN, GST, EPFO/ESIC, total workforce, sector, contact officer.
• Declare apprenticeship potential — minimum 2.5%, maximum 15% of total strength (some trades may have specific bands).
• Post opportunities — trade, qualification required, stipend offered, location.
• Shortlist & contract — generate on portal; e-sign with Aadhaar.
• Pay stipend monthly in full to apprentice bank account.
• Upload attendance & training records quarterly.
• Claim 25% reimbursement quarterly via portal — DBT to establishment account, typically 30-90 days after claim filed.
• Submit completion record at end of contract; ensure the apprentice's certificate is generated.

+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| School pass (Class 5-9)          | Stipend floor: ~₹5,000/month         |
| School pass (Class 10-12)        | Stipend floor: ~₹6,000/month         |
| ITI / NCVT trade pass            | Stipend floor: ~₹7,000/month         |
| Diploma (technician)             | Stipend floor: ~₹8,000/month         |
| Graduate apprentice              | Stipend floor: ~₹9,000/month         |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Apprenticeship duration          | 6 months – 36 months (trade based)   |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Government reimbursement to      | 25% of prescribed stipend            |
| establishment (NAPS)             | Capped at ₹1,500/apprentice/month    |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Reimbursement frequency          | Quarterly via DBT to establishment   |
| Reimbursement SLA                | 30-90 days from claim submission     |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Stipend revisions                | Every 12 months as per CPI / per     |
|                                  | Apprenticeship Rules amendment       |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Working hours for apprentices    | Max 42 hours/week (4 hours less than |
|                                  | adult workers in same establishment) |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Leave entitlement                | Casual leave 12 days, medical 15     |
|                                  | days, extraordinary 10 days/year     |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| AITT exam fee (for trade test)   | NIL for the apprentice (borne by GoI)|
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Portal registration              | NIL (free for both candidate +       |
|                                  | establishment)                       |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| RTI to MSDE / RDSDE / DGT PIO    | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free.              |
+----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+

• Aadhaar not seeded with bank account. Mandatory for stipend DBT; without it, stipend cannot land. Visit your bank with Aadhaar to seed.
• Bank account holder name mismatch with Aadhaar / PAN. Common when nicknames vs full name vary. Get the bank to match exactly.
• Apprentice already registered for another active apprenticeship. Portal blocks dual contracts. Mark the previous one as “discontinued” / “completed” first.
• Establishment hasn't uploaded the contract. The candidate sees “selected” but no contract appears. Push the establishment HR to action; the apprentice cannot generate the contract themselves.
• Establishment delays stipend. Apprentice has no enforceable right to stipend until both parties have signed; once signed, delay beyond 30 days is a violation under §13 of the Apprentices Act.
• 25% reimbursement claim rejected to establishment. Common reasons: attendance log incomplete, stipend payment proof not uploaded, bank statement of disbursement not attached. Establishment side issue, but apprentices feel the friction (some establishments delay paying you until they get reimbursed — illegal).
• AITT date not announced. NCVT trade tests are scheduled twice a year (typically March-April and September-October). If your contract end date falls between cycles, you wait for the next test. Plan your contract start date accordingly if possible.
• POC certificate stuck. Establishment hasn't uploaded completion record OR RDSDE hasn't processed it. Most common single delay; almost always resolved with a portal grievance + RTI nudge (Vignesh's case in the story).
• “Apprentice” being used as cheap labour. Some establishments engage you as NAPS apprentice but make you do non-skill-developmental tasks (peon, cleaner, runner). This violates §6 of the Act — escalate.
• Wrong trade tag. If your contract trade and your actual on-job training don't match, AITT pass becomes problematic. Insist the contract trade reflects what you'll actually be trained on.

• Email + written request to the establishment's NAPS coordinator (every NAPS-registered establishment must designate one).
• For stipend delay: a dated written request, mentioning the contract reference and apprentice ID.

• Regional Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDE) of your region — Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Faridabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, etc.
• For state-administered trades, your State Apprenticeship Adviser (SAA) is the relevant office.
• Contact directory: https://www.dgt.gov.in or https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in → “Contact Us” → State / Regional Office.

• Helpline: 1800-123-9626 (toll-free, 8 am – 8 pm, Mon-Sat).
• Email: support.naps@nsdcindia.org (NSDC handles backend operations); dgt-msde@gov.in for policy / appeal.
• Postal: Director General, Directorate General of Training, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003.

• https://pgportal.gov.in → ministry “Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship”.
• 30-day SLA. Useful when departmental responses are silent.

MSDE, DGT, RDSDE offices, BOAT/BOPT, NCVT, NSDC (to the extent it operates as a government agency for the NAPS portal), and State Skill Development Departments are all public authorities under §2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. Private establishments engaging apprentices are NOT public authorities — RTI on them won't fly; instead RTI to RDSDE / DGT for the regulatory record of their NAPS engagement.

RTI helps here when:

• Your completion certificate (POC) is stuck for months — RTI to PIO RDSDE for completion-record status, establishment-side compliance log, and projected issue date (Vignesh's case in the story).
• Stipend reimbursement delay complaint by establishment — RTI to PIO MSDE for the claim status.
• Establishment denies engaging you despite Aadhaar-signed contract — RTI to PIO RDSDE for the contract record on file.
• AITT result not declared / scorecard withheld — RTI to PIO NCVT / DGT for the result data.
• Trade reclassification / reservation reservation queries — RTI for the latest Apprenticeship Rules and DGT circulars.
• Suspected misuse — establishment engaging more apprentices than the legal cap, or treating apprentices as workers — RTI to RDSDE for inspection records.

PIO addresses (representative): CPIO, Directorate General of Training, MSDE, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003. Each RDSDE has its own CPIO listed on the dgt.gov.in RTI page.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You want to be selected by a particular establishment — selection is the establishment's discretionary call. RTI doesn't compel an offer.
• You want stipend rates raised — that's a policy decision through Apprenticeship Rules amendment; not “information held”.
• You want to challenge an AITT failure on academic grounds — go through the revaluation / re-examination process at NCVT; RTI gets you the answer-key but doesn't change the result.
• You want a private company forced to absorb you full-time — absorption is voluntary; not enforceable via RTI.
• For ongoing disciplinary action against you — RTI is a transparency tool, not a substitute for a labour-court / industrial-tribunal proceeding.

See: RTI for stuck NAPS apprenticeship / POC — copy-ready template.

Q. Is apprenticeship the same as an internship?
No. Apprenticeship is statutorily regulated under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — there's a contract, fixed duration, government certification, prescribed minimum stipend, and statutory protections. An internship is a contractual short-term engagement with no statutory framework. NAPS apprenticeship is far stronger as a credential.

Q. Will EPF / ESI be deducted during apprenticeship?
By default no — apprentices are excluded from PF and ESI by §18 of the Apprentices Act. Some establishments voluntarily extend benefits, but it's not mandatory. Once absorbed full-time, both kick in.

Q. Can a graduate (B.Tech) be a NAPS apprentice?
Yes. Graduate apprenticeship is administered by the Boards of Apprenticeship Training (BOAT/BOPT) — Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kanpur. Stipend floor for graduates ~₹9,000/month; many companies (Tata, L&T, Bosch, BEL, ISRO contractors) actively engage graduates through this route.

Q. Can I do apprenticeship in IT / software?
Yes. NAPS now covers non-engineering / optional trades including software development, data entry, business process services, retail operations, hospitality, healthcare assistance, banking operations. TCS, Wipro, Infosys (BPM arms), Concentrix, several BFSI companies engage NAPS apprentices in these.

Q. Can a small business with 6-8 employees engage an apprentice?
Yes — establishments with 4-29 workers are eligible (engagement is optional but reimbursement is available). Below 4 workers, NAPS doesn't apply.

Q. What if the establishment terminates me mid-contract without cause?
The Apprentices Act §7 protects you. Termination is allowed only on grounds (misconduct, prolonged absence) and after due process. Wrongful termination → complaint to RDSDE / SAA; you can also approach the Apprenticeship Adviser for arbitration.

Q. Does NAPS apprenticeship count as “experience” for government job applications?
Increasingly yes. Several PSUs and Railways now treat completed NAPS apprenticeship as relevant experience for entry-level openings. Check the specific recruitment notification's “experience” definition.

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Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. NAPS stipend floors revise periodically — verify latest at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in / dgt.gov.in or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.