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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(NAPS,National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme,apprenticeshipindia.gov.in,apprenticeship India 2026,ITI apprenticeship,DBT stipend apprentice,25% stipend reimbursement,how to apply NAPS,TVS Motors apprentice,Apprenticeship Act 1961,RDSDE,BOAT,NATS,NAPS portal registration,Coimbatore ITI)&metatag-description=(Step-by-step 2026 guide to NAPS — National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. Eligibility for school / ITI / diploma / graduate apprentices, employer registration, stipend rules, the 25% government reimbursement, contract creation on apprenticeshipindia.gov.in, completion certificate. Plain language. With escalation: RDSDE → DGT → CPGRAMS → RTI to PIO MSDE.)}}
+====== How to apply for NAPS — National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme — complete 2026 guide ======
+{{ :social:auto:apply-naps-national-apprenticeship-2026.png?direct&1200 |How to apply for NAPS apprenticeship 2026 — RTI Wiki citizen guide}}
+{{page>snippets:dpdp-banner}}
+<WRAP info>
+**Quick answer.** **NAPS — the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme** (re-launched as **NAPS 2.0** from FY 2022-23) is the Government of India scheme through which **establishments engage apprentices** under the **Apprentices Act, 1961** and the government **reimburses 25% of the prescribed stipend (capped at ₹1,500 per apprentice per month)** directly to the establishment via DBT. Apprentices receive a **monthly stipend** (minimum ₹5,000 to ₹9,000 depending on category — school pass, ITI pass, diploma, graduate), gain a **government-recognised completion certificate (POC)**, and become highly employable. Both **apprentices and employers register** at **https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in**. Apprenticeship duration: **6 months to 36 months** depending on trade. Administered by the **Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE)** through **Regional Directorates of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (RDSDE)** for designated trades and the **BOAT/BOPT (Boards of Apprenticeship Training)** for graduate / technician (sandwich) apprenticeships.
+</WRAP>
+===== Senthil's story — "6-month apprenticeship at TVS, then a full-time letter" =====
+<WRAP center round box 80%>
+//Senthil Kumar M, 21, ITI Coimbatore — "Mechanic Motor Vehicle" trade, 2-year ITI completed July 2025. Family runs a small bicycle-repair shop; father wanted him to "find a real job".//
+> "I'd applied to a dozen workshops directly after ITI. Two offered ₹6,000-7,000 'helper' positions — no proper agreement, no stipend on time. Then my ITI placement officer added me to a WhatsApp group where TVS Motors Hosur was posting NAPS apprentice openings. I registered on **apprenticeshipindia.gov.in** the same evening — Aadhaar OTP, ITI marksheet uploaded, photo, bank account (Aadhaar-seeded), email, mobile. Got my **apprentice ID** (a 14-digit number) in 2 minutes. Three weeks later TVS shortlisted me — 5-minute online interview, then 2 days of practical at the Hosur facility. Selected. Contract auto-generated on the portal — both TVS HR and I e-signed via Aadhaar OTP. **6-month NAPS apprenticeship, stipend ₹9,400 a month** (above the prescribed minimum because TVS pays a top-up). Joined September 2025. Stipend hit my bank by the 7th of every month. The 25% government reimbursement (₹1,500/month) goes to TVS, not to me — I learned this from the portal FAQ. I worked on the assembly-line quality station for 4 months and the engine-test bay for 2 months. End-of-term, I sat the **AITT (All India Trade Test)** in March 2026 — passed. Got my **NCVT-certified Proficiency Certificate (POC)**. **TVS extended me a full-time offer letter on 28 March 2026 — Junior Technician, ₹26,800 gross monthly + PF + ESI.** I didn't need an RTI. But my batchmate Vignesh — his completion certificate was stuck for 4 months because the establishment hadn't uploaded his completion log. He filed an RTI by Speed Post to PIO RDSDE Chennai — ₹10 IPO + ₹52 Speed Post. Reply in 23 days: 'completion record pending establishment upload; notice issued to establishment'. Certificate generated within 3 weeks of that nudge."
+—Senthil, April 2026
+</WRAP>
+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).
+===== What this is — and who can join =====
+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.
+===== Step-by-step process — for the apprentice =====
+==== Step 1 — Register on the NAPS portal ====
+  * 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.
+==== Step 2 — Search & apply for opportunities ====
+  * 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.
+==== Step 3 — Selection & online contract ====
+  * 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.
+==== Step 4 — Joining & basic training (if required) ====
+  * 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).
+==== Step 5 — Stipend disbursement (DBT) ====
+  * 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).
+==== Step 6 — Quarterly attendance & log book ====
+  * 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.
+==== Step 7 — Completion test (AITT) & certification ====
+  * 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.
+==== Step 8 — Absorption / next step ====
+  * 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.
+===== Step-by-step process — for the establishment =====
+  * **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.
+===== Sample stipend + duration + reimbursement table =====
+<code>
++----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
+| 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.              |
++----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
+</code>
+===== Common reasons your NAPS application or stipend gets stuck =====
+  * **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.
+===== If stuck — the escalation ladder =====
+==== Rung 1 — Establishment HR / NAPS coordinator ====
+  * 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.
+==== Rung 2 — Apprenticeship Adviser at RDSDE / SAA ====
+  * **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.
+==== Rung 3 — DGT (Directorate General of Training), MSDE ====
+  * **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//.
+==== Rung 4 — CPGRAMS ====
+  * https://pgportal.gov.in → ministry "Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship".
+  * 30-day SLA. Useful when departmental responses are silent.
+==== Rung 5 — Right to Information (RTI) ====
+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: [[:apply-naps-national-apprenticeship-2026|RTI for stuck NAPS apprenticeship / POC — copy-ready template]].
+===== FAQs =====
+**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.
+===== Related on RTI Wiki =====
+  * [[:apply-mudra-tarun-loan-up-10-lakh-2026|MUDRA Tarun loan up to ₹10 lakh — full guide]]
+  * [[:apply-mahila-udyam-nidhi-2026|Mahila Udyam Nidhi loan for women — full guide]]
+  * [[:apply-naps-national-apprenticeship-2026|RTI for stuck NAPS apprenticeship — copy-ready template]]
+  * [[:rti-for-beginners|RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers]]
+  * [[:helplines:start|All Indian government helplines — one master directory]]
+//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.//
+{{tag>naps national-apprenticeship-promotion-scheme apprenticeship-india apprentices-act-1961 dgt msde rdsde boat bopt iti-apprentice graduate-apprentice ncvt aitt poc-certificate tvs-motors stipend-dbt rti-naps citizen-guide help-first 2026}}

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