Jobs and Employment

NAPS / NATS Apprenticeship Stipend Not Paid? Here Is How to Escalate It

If your NAPS or NATS apprenticeship stipend has not been paid, your employer is breaking the law. This guide walks you through the portal complaint route, the regional authority, CPGRAMS, and an RTI application — so you can recover every rupee you are owed.

Last reviewed: 29 May 2026 · Practical action guide · India · By the Right to Information Wiki editorial team

Quick answer

Your employer is legally required under the Apprentices Act 1961 to pay your full stipend by the 10th of the following month, into your bank account. The government reimbursement that flows to your employer (under either NAPS or NATS) is the employer's concern, not a precondition for your payment. If your stipend has not arrived, start with a written demand to your employer, then raise a grievance on the relevant apprenticeship portal, escalate to the regional authority (RDAT or BOAT), and file on CPGRAMS. Back every step with an RTI application.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for any person currently enrolled as an apprentice under a government-backed apprenticeship scheme in India — specifically NAPS or NATS — whose stipend has been delayed, reduced, or withheld entirely by the employer. It will also help you if you have already left an apprenticeship without receiving the full stipend you were owed.

Before going further, it helps to understand which scheme you are on, because the implementing ministry, the regional authority, and the complaint portal are different for each.

NAPS — National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme

NAPS is administered by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It covers apprentices working in designated trades and optional trades under the Apprentices Act 1961 — typically ITI pass-outs, class 10 and 12 leavers, and workers in vocational areas. The government provides partial financial support to the employer as a reimbursement for a share of the stipend paid. This reimbursement is transferred quarterly through the NSDC and the RDAT (Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training) or SAA (State Apprenticeship Adviser) in your state. Your contract of apprenticeship is registered and managed on the portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in.

NATS — National Apprenticeship Training Scheme

NATS is administered by the Ministry of Education through the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the regional Boards of Apprenticeship Training. It is specifically for technically qualified candidates — engineering graduates, diploma holders, and vocational certificate holders — who need practical on-the-job training after completing their formal education. The portal is at nats.education.gov.in. The implementing boards are:

BOAT (Board of Apprenticeship Training) — handles the Southern, Western, and Northern regions.
BOPT (Board of Practical Training) — handles the Eastern region, based in Kolkata.

Both schemes require the employer to pay you the full stipend directly. Under NAPS, the government reimburses a portion of that stipend to the employer. Under NATS, the government reimburses a larger share to the employer. In neither case is the government's reimbursement a reason for the employer to delay paying you.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Log in to your apprenticeship portal (apprenticeshipindia.gov.in for NAPS, nats.education.gov.in for NATS) and download or screenshot your contract of apprenticeship, your attendance records, and your stipend payment history. Check which months are missing. Open your bank account statement and match it against the portal records. Note the exact months and amounts you have not received.

Saturday

Write a short, firm email to your employer's HR department or training manager citing Section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961. State clearly which months' stipend has not been credited, the total amount outstanding, and give them a 7-day deadline to pay or respond in writing. Keep a copy of this email — you will need it for every subsequent complaint. While you wait for their reply, raise a grievance on the apprenticeship portal using the guide in the step-by-step section below.

Sunday

If you have not received any reply from the employer by Sunday evening, prepare your complaint to the RDAT (NAPS) or BOAT/BOPT regional office (NATS). Use the template in this guide. Also register on CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in so you are ready to file that complaint on Monday morning if needed. Read the Practical Guides hub for related escalation tools — several of them, such as the RTI filing guide, will be useful at the next stage.

Documents and evidence checklist

Document	Where to get it	Why you need it
Signed contract of apprenticeship	Download from portal (NAPS or NATS login), or ask employer for a copy	Proves the legal stipend amount you are entitled to each month
Attendance records from portal	NAPS portal or NATS portal, apprentice login section	Shows attendance was uploaded — employer cannot claim you were absent
Stipend payment history from portal	Same portal, payroll/stipend section	Official record of what employer uploaded as paid vs what you actually received
Bank account statements	Your bank — download passbook or statement for each month in dispute	Proof that the stipend credit did not arrive
Employer's written response (or silence)	Your demand email and any reply from HR/manager	Shows you tried internal resolution first; silence also counts as evidence
Offer letter / joining letter	From employer at the time of joining	Secondary proof of stipend terms if portal contract is not accessible
Aadhaar and bank DBT linkage proof	Aadhaar portal or bank letter	Required for some portal complaint forms and for DBT dispute claims
Apprentice registration / enrolment number	Portal dashboard or registration confirmation email	Needed for every complaint to RDAT, BOAT, CPGRAMS, or RTI

Step-by-step action plan

Step 1 — Confirm which scheme and portal applies to you

Check your registration confirmation or contract of apprenticeship. If it mentions MSDE, NSDC, DGT, or trades from the Apprentices Act schedule, you are on NAPS and the portal is apprenticeshipindia.gov.in. If it mentions AICTE, BOAT, BOPT, or your qualification is a degree or diploma in engineering or technology, you are on NATS and the portal is nats.education.gov.in. This determines your entire escalation path.

Step 2 — Send a written demand to your employer

Send a clear written demand by email to your employer's HR or training manager. Reference Section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961, which requires the stipend to be paid by the 10th of the following month via bank transfer. List each month for which stipend was not credited and the total amount. Give a 7-day deadline. Do not accept verbal assurances — get everything in writing.

Step 3 — Raise a complaint on the apprenticeship portal

For NAPS: Log in to apprenticeshipindia.gov.in with your apprentice credentials. Navigate to the grievance or support section and submit a ticket describing the non-payment. Keep the ticket or reference number. You can also call the NSDC helpline at 1800-309-1920 (Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM) or email [email protected]. For technical portal issues, the NSDC support portal at support.nsdcindia.org also accepts tickets.

For NATS: Log in to nats.education.gov.in and use the support or contact section to raise your complaint. You can email [email protected] with full details. The NATS toll-free helpline is 1800-425-3770. You can also contact your regional BOAT or BOPT office directly — see the official links section below for region-specific contact numbers.

Step 4 — Escalate to the regional authority

For NAPS: Contact the RDAT (Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training) or the SAA (State Apprenticeship Adviser) in your state. These authorities are designated under the Apprentices Act to hear disputes between apprentices and employers. Submit your demand letter, the employer's non-response, the portal complaint reference, and your bank statements. The RDAT is empowered to direct the employer to pay and can initiate proceedings for breach of the apprenticeship contract. Under NAPS-2 guidelines, if a grievance is not resolved at the lower level within the stipulated time, it is escalated to higher authorities including RDSDEs (Regional Directors of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), Joint Apprenticeship Advisers, and the Central Apprenticeship Adviser.

For NATS: File a written complaint at the relevant BOAT or BOPT regional office for your area. Include your apprentice registration number, the employer's name and NATS registration number, the months of non-payment, and all supporting documents. BOAT/BOPT offices handle disputes and verify whether the employer has uploaded your attendance and stipend records on the portal. Disputes under the Apprentices Act are referred to the Apprenticeship Adviser.

Step 5 — File a CPGRAMS grievance

If the portal complaint and regional authority have not resolved the matter within a reasonable time (usually 30 days), register on CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in and file a public grievance. For NAPS matters, address it to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. For NATS matters, address it to the Ministry of Education. Provide your ticket or reference numbers from the earlier steps. CPGRAMS grievances receive a unique registration ID and must be disposed of within the stipulated timeframe. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can file a reminder or escalation appeal within 30 days through the same portal. Read the full guide at CPGRAMS grievance guide and how to file a CPGRAMS complaint in 2026.

Step 6 — File an RTI application

File an RTI application at rtionline.gov.in addressed to the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of MSDE (for NAPS) or of BOAT/BOPT (for NATS). Ask for the specific records described in the RTI section below. An RTI application forces the authority to provide information within 30 days. If the answer is unsatisfactory or not given in time, you can file a First Appeal. See the full guide at how to file an RTI online and how to file a First Appeal under Section 19. For a deeper understanding of how RTI works as a citizen tool, the RTI Playbook covers the full strategy.

Step 7 — Contact EPFO if PF contributions are also missing

Some apprenticeship contracts include Provident Fund contributions. If those too have not been deposited, you have a separate complaint path through EPFO. The guide on EPFO claim and UAN KYC complaints will help you with that parallel track.

Escalation ladder

Step	Forum	NAPS contact	NATS contact	Expected response time
1	Employer (internal)	HR / training manager — written email	HR / training manager — written email	7 days (set in your demand)
2	Portal complaint	apprenticeshipindia.gov.in grievance section; NSDC helpline 1800-309-1920	nats.education.gov.in support; helpline 1800-425-3770; [email protected]	Varies; keep ticket number
3	Regional authority	RDAT or SAA for your state (find via MSDE or apprenticeshipindia.gov.in)	BOAT or BOPT regional office for your zone (Southern, Western, Eastern, Northern)	30–45 days
4	CPGRAMS public grievance	pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship	pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Education	30 days statutory
5	RTI application	rtionline.gov.in → CPIO of MSDE	rtionline.gov.in → CPIO of BOAT / BOPT / Ministry of Education	30 days statutory
6	RTI First Appeal	First Appellate Authority at MSDE	First Appellate Authority at BOAT/BOPT or Ministry of Education	30–45 days statutory
7	Central Information Commission	CIC second appeal if First Appeal unsatisfied	CIC second appeal if First Appeal unsatisfied	Varies

Copy-paste complaint template

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details before sending. This template is suitable for the portal complaint, the RDAT/BOAT letter, and the CPGRAMS grievance body.

To, The Grievance Officer / Apprenticeship Adviser [RDAT / BOAT Regional Office / MSDE / Ministry of Education] [Office address if sending by post] Subject: Complaint regarding non-payment of stipend — Apprenticeship Registration No. [your registration number] Sir / Madam, I am enrolled as an apprentice under the [NAPS / NATS] scheme at the establishment named [employer name and address], bearing registration/NATS employer ID [employer ID if known]. My apprenticeship period is from [start date] to [end date] in the trade/discipline of [trade or field]. As per Section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961 and the contract of apprenticeship executed on [contract date], I am entitled to a stipend of Rs. [monthly stipend amount as per contract] per month, to be paid by the 10th of the following month into my bank account. The following months' stipend has not been credited to my account despite the training having been completed and attendance duly marked on the portal: [Month and Year 1] — Rs. [amount] [Month and Year 2] — Rs. [amount] [Month and Year 3] — Rs. [amount] Total unpaid: Rs. [total amount] I raised the matter in writing with my employer's HR department on [date of demand email] but have received no satisfactory response. [State: "I received no reply" or "I received a reply citing government reimbursement delay, which is not a valid reason under the Act."] I also raised a portal complaint on [date], reference number [portal ticket number], which has not been resolved. I therefore request you to: 1. Direct the employer to pay the outstanding stipend of Rs. [total] immediately. 2. Investigate whether the employer has correctly uploaded my attendance and stipend records on the portal. 3. Initiate proceedings under the Apprentices Act 1961 if the employer is found in breach. I am attaching the following documents: — Copy of contract of apprenticeship — Attendance records from portal — Stipend payment history from portal — Bank statements showing non-credit for the stated months — Copy of demand email sent to employer and employer's response (or non-response) Please acknowledge receipt and provide a registration number for this complaint. Yours faithfully, [Your full name] [Contact phone number] [Email address] [Postal address] [Date]

When RTI can help

NAPS and NATS are government-funded schemes administered by public authorities. This makes the records of your apprenticeship — including your contract status, employer upload history, and government reimbursement claims — subject to the RTI Act 2005. Here is where RTI can make a direct difference.

What to ask in your RTI application

Whether the contract of apprenticeship for registration number [your number] has been recorded and activated on the portal.
Whether attendance records for the months [list months] were uploaded by the employer on the portal — and if so, what the uploaded figures show.
Whether the employer submitted a stipend payment record or claim for those months, and what the claim amounts were.
Whether any government reimbursement claim was processed or disbursed for those months, and the current status of any pending claim.
Whether any complaint or grievance was received from this apprentice or about this employer, and what action was taken.
Certified copies of any correspondence between the authority and the employer regarding non-payment.

This information can expose a gap between what the employer claimed to have paid on the portal and what actually reached your account. It can also reveal whether the employer is fraudulently claiming the government reimbursement share without actually paying you. Refer to the full RTI filing guide and First Appeal guide for the filing steps. For a broader understanding of RTI strategy, read The RTI Playbook.

Addresses for RTI filing

NAPS matters: Address the RTI to the CPIO, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi. You can also address it to the CPIO of the relevant RDAT or SAA in your state.
NATS matters: Address the RTI to the CPIO of the relevant BOAT regional office (Southern — Chennai, Western — Mumbai, Northern — Kanpur) or BOPT (Eastern — Kolkata), or to the CPIO, Ministry of Education.

When RTI will not help

RTI cannot compel anyone to pay you money directly. It is a tool to get information and expose gaps in the system — not a recovery mechanism on its own. RTI also does not help if your apprenticeship is with a purely private company that is not registered under any government scheme, since such companies are not public authorities under the RTI Act. In those cases, your recourse is through the labour court or a civil dispute under contract law.

RTI also cannot speed up BOAT or RDAT proceedings. Use CPGRAMS and the CPGRAMS guide to push on timelines — that is a more direct pressure tool for getting authorities to act.

Common mistakes to avoid

Accepting verbal assurances. "It will come next month" is not a commitment. Get every response from your employer in writing, even if it is just a WhatsApp message. Courts and authorities take written evidence seriously.
Not saving portal records. Employers sometimes remove or alter attendance records. Download and screenshot your portal data as soon as you notice a problem — before raising any complaint, which might alert the employer.
Confusing the government reimbursement share with your payment. Whether the government has reimbursed the employer or not is irrelevant to your right to receive your stipend on time. The employer pays you first; they claim reimbursement later. Do not let the employer tell you otherwise.
Skipping the employer demand step. Every higher forum — RDAT, BOAT, CPGRAMS — will ask you whether you first tried to resolve it with the employer. If you have no record of that attempt, your complaint looks weaker. Send the demand email first, even if you are sure the employer will not respond.
Filing a vague portal complaint. "Stipend not paid" without dates, amounts, and registration numbers often gets closed with a boilerplate response. Be specific: name each month, the amount due, and cite your contract.
Waiting too long. There is no rigid limitation period for apprenticeship stipend disputes the way there is in civil courts, but delay weakens your case and makes records harder to recover. Start the process as soon as one month's stipend is missed without explanation.
Not following up on CPGRAMS. CPGRAMS disposals sometimes say "resolved" when nothing has actually changed. If the authority claims the matter is resolved but you have not received payment, file a reminder within 30 days or appeal through the same portal. The guide on filing CPGRAMS grievances in 2026 explains how to do this.
Thinking RTI is only for information, not for pressure. RTI is also a pressure tool. An employer who learns that the government authority is being asked for records of their attendance uploads and reimbursement claims is more likely to settle. Use it strategically alongside your complaint.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between NAPS and NATS?

NAPS (National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme) is run by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and covers ITI pass-outs, class 10 and 12 leavers, and workers in designated and optional trades. NATS (National Apprenticeship Training Scheme) is run by the Ministry of Education through BOAT and BOPT regional boards and is meant for engineering graduates, diploma holders, and vocational certificate holders who need practical on-the-job training after completing their formal education.

Who pays my stipend — the employer or the government?

Your employer is legally obliged to pay you the full stipend every month, by the 10th of the following month, directly into your bank account. Under NAPS, the government reimburses a portion of that stipend back to the employer afterward. Under NATS, the government similarly reimburses a share to the employer after verification by BOAT or BOPT. The government share goes to the employer, not directly to you as an apprentice — but the employer cannot use that as an excuse to withhold your payment.

My employer says the government share has not arrived, so they cannot pay me. Is that valid?

No. Under the Apprentices Act 1961, your employer is legally obliged to pay your full stipend on time regardless of whether they have received the government reimbursement. The government share is a reimbursement mechanism for the employer, not a precondition for your payment. If the employer uses this as a reason to delay or deny your stipend, they are in breach of the contract of apprenticeship and the Act.

Where do I raise a portal complaint for NAPS stipend non-payment?

Log in to the NAPS portal at apprenticeshipindia.gov.in using your apprentice credentials, navigate to the grievance or query section, and raise a ticket describing the months for which stipend was not paid. If you cannot resolve it through the portal, call the NSDC helpline at 1800-309-1920 or email [email protected]. You can also escalate to the concerned RDAT (Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training) or SAA (State Apprenticeship Adviser) in your state.

Where do I raise a complaint for NATS stipend non-payment?

Log in to the NATS portal at nats.education.gov.in and use the portal's complaint or support section. You can also email [email protected] or call the NATS toll-free helpline. For region-specific help, contact your BOAT regional office directly: Southern Region at +91-44-22542235 with toll-free 18004252239, Western Region at 022-24055634, Eastern Region (BOPT) at +91-33-23370750, and Northern Region at 0512-2584056.

Can I file an RTI application for my apprenticeship stipend records?

Yes. MSDE, NSDC, BOAT, BOPT, RDAT, and SAAs are all public authorities under the RTI Act. You can file an RTI asking for: the status of your contract of apprenticeship, whether the employer has uploaded your attendance and stipend records on the portal, whether the government reimbursement claim was processed, and any correspondence between the authority and your employer about non-payment. File online at the RTI portal at rtionline.gov.in.

Can I get compensation if my employer refuses to pay stipend?

Under the Apprentices Act 1961, where an employer fails to carry out the terms and conditions of the contract of apprenticeship, the employer can be made liable to pay compensation equivalent to three months of the apprentice's last drawn stipend. Disputes are referred to the Apprenticeship Adviser. Raise the matter with the RDAT or BOAT regional office and follow up with CPGRAMS if the Adviser does not act.