'Recognition of Prior Learning Scheme' is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to

Answer: (a) Certifying the skills acquired by construction workers through traditional channels.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) gives a formal certificate to people who already have a skill learnt on the job or from family, without a formal course. Its first pilot was run for construction workers by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and it later became a component of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

• ✓ (a) The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched an RPL pilot in the construction sector to certify skills that informal workers had picked up through experience or other non-formal channels.
• ✗ (d) RPL is meant for people who were never formally trained; trainees who finish a formal skill course are assessed and certified under that course itself, not under 'prior learning'.
• ✗ (b) RPL has nothing to do with university admission or distance education; it assesses existing workplace skills against national occupational standards.

Remember · RPL = certifying skills already learnt informally (on the job, in the family). Piloted for construction workers; now a component of PMKVY under the Skill Development ministry.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error