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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-title=(NAPS or NATS Stipend Not Paid? Escalate It Step by Step)&metatag-description=(NAPS or NATS stipend not credited? The employer must pay by the 10th of the next month; the government share comes by DBT after e-KYC. Use this complaint ladder.)&metatag-keywords=(NATS stipend credit date, NAPS DBT not credited, NATS complaint, NAPS complaint number, apprenticeship stipend not paid, escalate)&metatag-robots=(index,follow)&metatag-og:title=(NAPS or NATS Stipend Not Paid? Escalate It Step by Step)&metatag-og:description=(NAPS or NATS stipend not credited? The employer must pay by the 10th of the next month; the government share comes by DBT after e-KYC. Use this complaint ladder.)&metatag-og:type=(article)}}
 +
 +====== NAPS or NATS Stipend Not Paid? Escalate It Step by Step ======
 +
 +**If your NAPS or NATS apprenticeship stipend has not been paid, your employer is breaking the law — and if the government DBT share is missing, the cause is usually a stalled claim or an incomplete e-KYC rather than a lost payment. This guide walks you through the claim-credit cycle, the portal complaint route, the regional authority, CPGRAMS, and an RTI application, so you can recover every rupee you are owed.**
 +
 +{{:practical-guides:naps-nats-apprenticeship-stipend-not-paid-escalation.webp|NAPS or NATS Stipend Not Paid? Escalate It Step by Step}}
 +
 +**Reviewed on:** 2026-08-27.
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Quick Reply:**
 +
 +Your employer must pay your stipend by the 10th of the following month into your bank account — rule 11(3) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992, with section 13 of the Act. The government share now reaches you directly by DBT once e-KYC and bank seeding are done. Demand payment in writing, then escalate: portal, regional authority, CPGRAMS, RTI.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +===== How the stipend actually reaches you =====
 +
 +There are two separate payments in every NAPS or NATS apprenticeship, and they travel by two separate routes. Knowing which one is missing tells you who to complain to.
 +
 +**Your stipend comes from your employer.** Under section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961, the employer must pay you a stipend at not less than the prescribed minimum rate, as specified in your contract of apprenticeship, at the prescribed intervals. Rule 11(3) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992 fixes those intervals: the stipend for a month must be paid by the tenth day of the following month, through your bank account. This obligation is written into your contract and does not depend on any government money arriving first.
 +
 +**The government share comes to you directly by DBT.** Both NAPS and NATS pay their partial stipend support through Direct Benefit Transfer straight to the apprentice's bank account. Under NAPS the government share is 25 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 1,500 a month per apprentice. Under NATS it is 50 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 4,500 a month per apprentice. On the NATS 2.0 portal, e-KYC verification is mandatory before you can receive this share.
 +
 +Behind the credit sits a claim cycle: your establishment pays your stipend and uploads your attendance; a claim for the government share is submitted and verified on the NAPS or NATS portal; the approved amount is then released by DBT to your Aadhaar-linked account. If your money has not arrived, the break is at one of those three points — and each has its own fix.
 +
 +==== When will the money actually be credited? ====
 +
 +Here is the honest answer: **no fixed credit date is notified for the government DBT share.** The only statutory deadline in this system binds your employer — the tenth day of the following month for your stipend. The DBT share moves after the claim on the portal is verified, so a delay is a claim problem or a verification problem, not a scheduled date you have missed. Check your claim status on the portal and your e-KYC and bank seeding before assuming the payment is lost. Be equally sceptical of anyone who quotes you a guaranteed credit date — no such calendar exists in the scheme rules or on either portal.
 +
 +==== If the DBT share is missing, check these four things ====
 +
 +The official NATS guide to successful DBT beneficiary registration describes the flow — registration initiated on the NATS portal, received by PFMS, then verified step by step. Work through it in order:
 +
 +  * **e-KYC verification on the portal.** On NATS 2.0 this is mandatory to receive the government share; the portal notice asked active apprentices to complete it by 31 May 2026.
 +  * **Aadhaar verification with UIDAI.** Your Aadhaar number must verify cleanly against UIDAI records.
 +  * **Bank verification with NPCI.** Your active bank account must be Aadhaar-seeded and mapped in the NPCI mapper — an old, inactive or unlinked account is the single most common cause of a failed DBT credit.
 +  * **Beneficiary re-registration after any bank change.** If you changed your bank account, redo the beneficiary registration on the portal so the new account enters the pipeline.
 +
 +==== Minimum stipend rates now in force ====
 +
 +The prescribed minimum stipend was revised by notification G.S.R. 610(E) dated 3 September 2025, published 11 September 2025. The revised minimums apply to apprentices who were already in training on that date, not only to new contracts:
 +
 +^ Apprentice category ^ Minimum monthly stipend from 11 September 2025 ^
 +| School pass-outs, class 5 to class 9 | Rs 6,800 |
 +| Class 10 pass-outs | Rs 8,200 |
 +| Class 12 pass-outs, and certificate, vocational or sandwich categories | Rs 9,600 |
 +| Technician and diploma apprentices | Rs 10,900 |
 +| Graduate and degree apprentices | Rs 12,300 |
 +
 +Your contract may promise more — establishments are free to pay above the minimum — but never less. No deduction may be made from your stipend for periods of casual leave or medical leave (rule 11(4) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992).
 +
 +===== 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, or whose government DBT share has not arrived. It will also help you if you have already left an apprenticeship without receiving the full stipend you were owed. Related: [[/practical-guides/internship-stipend-completion-certificate-not-issued|internship stipend not being paid]].
 +
 +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 share — 25 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 1,500 a month — is paid by DBT directly into your bank account. DBT under NAPS took effect in July 2023 and was formally launched on 11 August 2023. Your contract of apprenticeship is registered and managed on the portal at **apprenticeshipindia.gov.in**. Related: [[/apply-naps-national-apprenticeship-2026|how to apply for NAPS]].
 +
 +==== 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. Training runs from six months to one year and ends with a Certificate of Proficiency. The government share — 50 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 4,500 a month — is paid by DBT directly to you, and e-KYC on the portal is mandatory to receive it. The portal is at **nats.education.gov.in**; the old nats.edu.in domain no longer resolves, so update any bookmark that still points there. 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, on time. The government share is separate money that follows later, by DBT to your own account — it is never 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. If the missing money is the government DBT share, also open the e-KYC and beneficiary registration screens and check the four items listed above.
 +
 +==== Saturday ====
 +
 +Write a short, firm email to your employer's HR department or training manager citing section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961 and rule 11(3) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992. 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-rti|CPGRAMS]] at pgportal.gov.in so you are ready to file that complaint on Monday morning if needed. Read the [[/practical-guides/|Practical Guides hub]] for related escalation tools — several of them, such as the [[/file-rti-online-india|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 |
 +| e-KYC and DBT beneficiary status | NATS 2.0 portal e-KYC screen; bank branch for Aadhaar seeding | Shows whether the government share failed on verification, not on payment |
 +| 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 |
 +| 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 and rule 11(3) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992, which together require the month's stipend to be paid by the tenth day of the following month through your bank account. 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. For portal and account problems, the NSDC support portal at **support.nsdcindia.org** accepts tickets, and the NSDC contact page lists the grievance email **[email protected]** along with the board number +91-11-47451600-10.
 +
 +**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 address is listed in the portal footer. If your problem is the e-KYC or APAAR ID step, the portal notice lists an APAAR support number, 18008893511. For stipend disputes, also contact your regional BOAT or BOPT office directly — see Step 4 and the official links section below.
 +
 +==== 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. Under section 20 of the Apprentices Act 1961, any dispute or disagreement between an employer and an apprentice arising out of the contract of apprenticeship is referred to the Apprenticeship Adviser for decision — for NAPS, that authority is the RDAT or SAA for your region. Submit your demand letter, the employer's non-response, the portal complaint reference, and your bank statements. A person aggrieved by the Adviser's decision may prefer an appeal to the Apprenticeship Council within thirty days of the decision.
 +
 +**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. Verified regional contact points this run: the BOAT Northern Region grievance officer (Deputy Director) can be reached on **0512-2580349** and **011-20892282**, or by email at **[email protected]**; BOAT Western Region lists **[email protected]** and **[email protected]**. The Southern and Eastern region boards were not reachable at their published hosts this run — route those through the NATS portal and CPGRAMS.
 +
 +==== Step 5 — File a CPGRAMS grievance ====
 +
 +If the portal complaint and regional authority have not resolved the matter, 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. Every CPGRAMS grievance receives a unique registration ID that you use to track it. While it is pending you can file a Reminder or seek Clarification through the portal. After a grievance is closed, you are asked for feedback — if you rate the resolution 'Poor', the option to file an appeal is enabled, and the appeal tracks against the same registration number. Read the full guide at [[/cpgrams-rti|CPGRAMS grievance guide]] and [[/file-cpgrams-grievance-2026|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 [[/file-rti-online-india|how to file an RTI online]] and [[/file-first-appeal-rti-section-19-2026|how to file a First Appeal under Section 19]]. For a deeper understanding of how RTI works as a citizen tool, [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/book|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-rejected-pending-uan-kyc-complaint-india|EPFO claim and UAN KYC complaints]] will help you with that parallel track. Related: [[/practical-guides/pf-withdrawal-rejected-employer-closed-not-approving|PF withdrawal rejected by your employer]].
 +
 +===== 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; support.nsdcindia.org; [email protected] | nats.education.gov.in support; [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; BOAT NR 0512-2580349 or [email protected] | Varies; follow up in writing |
 +| 4 | CPGRAMS public grievance | pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship | pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Education | Varies; Reminder first, appeal via Poor rating |
 +| 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 | As provided in s.19 of the RTI Act |
 +| 7 | Central Information Commission | CIC second appeal if First Appeal unsatisfactory | CIC second appeal if First Appeal unsatisfactory | 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 read with rule 11(3) of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992, 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 Government share of stipend under the scheme is payable to me directly through Direct Benefit Transfer, and my e-KYC and bank account seeding on the portal are complete.
 +
 +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 the government share not arriving, 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. Verify the status of the Government share of stipend payable to me by DBT for the stated months, and expedite its release if it is pending.
 +4. 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 share 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 claim for the government share of stipend was submitted, processed or disbursed for those months, and the current status of any pending claim.
 +  * Whether my DBT beneficiary registration and e-KYC verification are complete, and if any verification step with PFMS, UIDAI or NPCI has failed.
 +  * 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 exactly where in the DBT pipeline your government share stalled. Refer to the [[/file-rti-online-india|full RTI filing guide]] and [[/file-first-appeal-rti-section-19-2026|First Appeal guide]] for the filing steps. For a broader understanding of RTI strategy, read [[https://righttoinformation.wiki/book|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. Related: [[/practical-guides/salary-not-paid-by-employer-labour-complaint-evidence|employer not paying your salary]].
 +
 +RTI also cannot speed up BOAT or RDAT proceedings. Use CPGRAMS and the [[/cpgrams-rti|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 two payments.** Your stipend from the employer and the government DBT share are different payments with different failure points. The employer owes you the full stipend regardless of any government money; the DBT share depends on the claim being approved and your e-KYC and bank seeding being correct. Diagnose which one is missing before you complain, or you will be complaining to the wrong authority.
 +  * **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, use the Reminder option on the portal, and after closure rate the resolution 'Poor' — that is what unlocks the appeal option. The guide on [[/file-cpgrams-grievance-2026|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 stipend claims is more likely to settle. Use it strategically alongside your complaint.
 +
 +===== Official links =====
 +
 +  * [[https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in/|Apprenticeship Training Portal (NAPS) — apprenticeshipindia.gov.in]]
 +  * [[https://nats.education.gov.in/|National Apprenticeship Training Scheme Portal (NATS) — nats.education.gov.in]]
 +  * [[https://nats.education.gov.in/assets/manual/Guide_to_successful_DBT_beneficiary_registration.pdf|NATS guide to successful DBT beneficiary registration (official PDF)]]
 +  * [[https://boatwr.education.gov.in/en/contact-us/|BOAT Western Region (Mumbai) — contact page]]
 +  * [[https://boatnr.org/grievance.php|BOAT Northern Region (Kanpur) — grievance page]]
 +  * [[https://www.nsdcindia.org/contact-us|NSDC contact page — grievance email and board number]]
 +  * [[https://pgportal.gov.in/|CPGRAMS Public Grievance Portal — pgportal.gov.in]]
 +  * [[https://rtionline.gov.in/|RTI Online Filing Portal — rtionline.gov.in]]
 +
 +===== 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; its government share is 25 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 1,500 a month. 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; its government share is 50 percent of the prescribed minimum stipend, up to Rs 4,500 a month. Both shares are now paid by DBT directly to the apprentice.
 +
 +==== Who pays my stipend — the employer or the government? ====
 +
 +Your employer is legally obliged to pay you the full contracted stipend every month, by the tenth day of the following month, directly into your bank account. Separately, the government pays its own share of the stipend — 25 percent under NAPS, 50 percent under NATS, within the caps above — straight to your bank account by DBT after the claim is verified on the portal and your e-KYC is complete. The government share is support on top of your contractual stipend, not a substitute for it.
 +
 +==== When will the stipend be credited? ====
 +
 +For the employer-paid stipend there is a statutory deadline: the tenth day of the month following the month the stipend relates to. For the government DBT share there is no notified credit date — the money moves after the claim on the portal is verified. So check three things before assuming a delay: your attendance was uploaded, the claim for that month was submitted on the portal, and your e-KYC and Aadhaar-seeded bank account are correctly mapped in the NPCI mapper. If all three are in order and the payment is still missing weeks later, treat it as a grievance and start the ladder in this guide.
 +
 +==== My DBT share has not arrived. How do I check it? ====
 +
 +Work through the official DBT beneficiary checklist: e-KYC verification completed on the NATS 2.0 portal (mandatory to receive the share), Aadhaar number verified with UIDAI, bank details verified with NPCI with your active account Aadhaar-seeded and mapped in the NPCI mapper, and beneficiary registration redone on the portal after any change of bank. If every step shows complete, raise a ticket on the portal and email [email protected] with your registration number and the months concerned.
 +
 +==== What is the minimum stipend under the Act now? ====
 +
 +From 11 September 2025, following notification G.S.R. 610(E) dated 3 September 2025, the prescribed minimum monthly stipend is Rs 6,800 for school pass-outs of class 5 to 9, Rs 8,200 for class 10 pass-outs, Rs 9,600 for class 12 pass-outs and certificate, vocational and sandwich categories, Rs 10,900 for technician and diploma apprentices, and Rs 12,300 for graduate and degree apprentices. These minimums apply to apprentices already in training on that date as well as to new contracts, and no deduction is permitted for casual or medical leave.
 +
 +==== My employer says the government share has not arrived, so they cannot pay me. Is that valid? ====
 +
 +No. Under section 13 of the Apprentices Act 1961 read with rule 11(3) of the 1992 Rules, your employer must pay your full stipend by the tenth day of the following month regardless of any government money. The excuse is also factually stale: since 2023 the government share travels by DBT straight to your account, not to the employer. If the employer withholds your stipend on this ground, they are in breach of the contract of apprenticeship and the Act — say so in your demand letter.
 +
 +==== 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. Keep the ticket number. If the portal does not resolve it, open a ticket on the NSDC support portal at support.nsdcindia.org and write to [email protected]. You can also escalate to the concerned RDAT (Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training) or SAA (State Apprenticeship Adviser) in your state, which is where disputes under the Act are decided.
 +
 +==== 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, and email [email protected] with your registration number and the unpaid months. For the Northern Region, the BOAT grievance officer (Deputy Director) is reachable on 0512-2580349 and 011-20892282 or at [email protected]; the Western Region lists [email protected] and [email protected]. If your region's board office cannot be reached, file the same complaint on CPGRAMS addressed to the Ministry of Education — it reaches the same department.
 +
 +==== 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 share claim was submitted and processed through the DBT pipeline, 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? ====
 +
 +Where the contract of apprenticeship is terminated through the employer's failure to carry out its terms, the employer is liable to pay compensation equal to three months of your last drawn stipend — prescribed by rule 8 of the Apprenticeship Rules 1992, triggered through section 7(3)(a) of the Act. For ongoing non-payment, raise the dispute with the Apprenticeship Adviser (the RDAT or SAA for NAPS, the BOAT or BOPT board for NATS) under section 20, and remember that a person aggrieved by the Adviser's decision may appeal to the Apprenticeship Council within thirty days. Follow up with CPGRAMS if the authority does not act.
 +
 +{{tag>rti naps nats apprenticeship stipend dbt credit escalate}}