The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has notified the Apprenticeship (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (“Amendment”) to amend the Apprenticeship Rules,1992 (“Principal rules”). The amended provisions are effective immediately.

Key Highlights :

1. The minimum rate of stipend per month payable to trade apprentice has been revised and provided as under:

2. The definition of “Degree apprenticeship” has been added to mean ‘a course having apprenticeship as an integrated component of the curriculum’.

‘Degree apprentices’ has been added as an entry to Schedule IA. The minimum educational qualification prescribed for engaging them as a Graduate or Technician or Technician (Vocational) apprentice is- “As prescribed by the All-India Council for Technical Education or University Grants Commission”.

A proviso has been added to Rule 3(2) to provide that degree apprentices shall not be eligible for being engaged as an apprentice after passing the final examination of the technical institution or institution wherein such student is undergoing the course unless so approved by the Apprenticeship Adviser or Regional Central Apprenticeship Adviser.

As per the amended Rule 6(2), the terms and conditions in respect of degree apprentice shall be as specified in Schedule VI.

The word “degree apprenticeship” has been added to the provisions under Rule 7A(14) which regulates the terms and conditions of contract of apprenticeship for optional trade.

Further, Rule 14(1) has been amended requiring that, for degree apprentice and sandwich course student, the contract as per Format-I will be entered between Institution, apprentice and employer and shall be forwarded on the portal-site by the employer for registration.

3. The Format I (under Schedule III) which provides the ‘Model Contract of Apprenticeship Training for Major or Minor Apprentices’ has been revised.

4. The definition of “Person with benchmark disability” has been added to mean a person as defined in clause (r) of section 2 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (49 of 2016).

Further, to facilitate engagement of persons with benchmark disability, a provision has been added to Rule 5 to specify that for every trade or subject field, suitability of such field for such disabled persons will be specified and training places to be reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities in trade or subject field under “Rights of person with Disabilities Act, 2016”. In case the reserved places, cannot be filled with persons with benchmark disabilities, then the training places so lying unfilled may be filled by persons having minimum standards of physical fitness. The training places for the persons with benchmark disabilities will be reserved by the employer in every optional trade.

As per amended Rule 7A, the training places for the persons with benchmark disabilities shall be reserved by the employer in every optional trade in accordance with the provisions of Rule 5(3).

5. Rule 7B(3) has been amended to increase the band of its total strength for each establishment to engage apprentices within a financial year from 10% to 15%, subject to a minimum of 5% of the total to be reserved for fresher apprentices and skill certificate holder apprentices and if the prescribed training places for fresher apprentice and skill certificate holder apprentice cannot be filled, then the training places so lying unfilled may be filled by other categories of apprentices with the approval of the apprenticeship adviser.

6. Rule 7D has been inserted to regulate the provision for “Minimum gap between trainings”. It requires that there shall be minimum 1 year gap between two apprenticeship training and further provides for some exceptions to it.

7. The Amendment states that there should be a minimum 1-year gap between 2 apprentices training; provided that the previous training is completed and no gap will be required in the case of termination of previous apprenticeship training due to failure on the part of the employer. A person may undergo maximum two apprenticeship training, and the second training will not be in the same trade. Also, where the contract of apprenticeship is terminated due to failure on the part of the apprentice to carry out the terms of contract, the apprentice will not be entitled to enter into another contract of Apprenticeship under the Act with any other employer;

8. The amended Rule 14(1) provides that in contract of apprenticeship, for degree apprentice and sandwich course student, the contract as per Format-I will be entered between the institution, apprentice and employer and shall be forwarded on the portal-site by the employer for registration.

9. Rule 14(4) has been amended as under-

“Every employer shall maintain a record of the work done and training undertaken by the degree, graduate, technician and technician (vocational) apprentices engaged in his establishment, for each quarter and at the end of each quarter shall send a report in Form Apprenticeship 3 specified in Schedule III to the concerned Deputy Regional Central Apprenticeship Adviser or as the case may be.”

10. The Amendment further introduces the following definitions:

1. 1. “Institution” means a college imparting a degree or diploma course approved by the University or Board
   2. “Regional Centre” means Regional Board at locations other than the cities specified under clause (mm) of section 2 of the Act.
   3. “Contractual staff’ means any person employed as a contract labour as defined in clause (g) of section 2 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019) or any other law for the time being in force.

For regulatory updates and update-related services, drop a mail at inquiries@lexplosion.in.

Source: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Share this: