Lakhs of youth are entering the job market every year in this country but are unable to find suitable employment. Non-availability of adequate employment opportunities in the organized & unorganized sectors is one of the serious challenges the country is facing. In such a scenario, the need for promoting self-employment for the unemployed rural youth, particularly those below the poverty line, and periodic skill up gradation to keep them abreast of latest technologies, need not be overstated. Once trained appropriately, the youth will launch profitable micro-enterprises and enhance their own standards of living and thereby contribute to the overall national economy. They can also feed the services sector, both within the country and abroad.

The Ministry of Rural Development (Skills Division), GoI has implemented the scheme of Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) through 590 RSETIs pan India to impart the training and skill development programmes to the rural youth under the Lead Bank Scheme of Banks presently functional at 590 districts in India