New Delhi: The Union government is all set to put another card in the pockets of its youth. This time, it will be called the “skill card”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the card, which can be used by employers to verify the skill training credentials obtained by any job seeker, on Wednesday.

This card is an addition to the already long list of cards that every Indian requires—Permanent Account Number card (PAN), Aadhaar card, driving licence and voter’s identity card. Not to forget the pieces of plastic—debit and credit cards—that are also becoming must-haves as the government is pushing towards a cashless economy.

The skill card will have a quick response (QR) code and by scanning it, an employer will know what kind of skill course a person has undergone and what type of certification he or she has been awarded. For a trained job seeker, it will lead to less hassle—he or she will not have to carry bundles of certificates.

The card may be converted into a smart card, with an embedded chip over time. While the skill and entrepreneurship ministry will start giving skill cards for a few select schemes initially, it may become the norm for all 70-odd skill schemes by 21 ministries and departments. India aims to skill-train over 400 million people between now and 2022.

The concept, however, is not unique and is already in use in some countries. For example in the UK, construction workers can obtain a CSCS (construction skill certification scheme) card which is provided under a skills certification scheme. Most builders ask workers to produce the card at the construction site which serves as a proof that the particular person has the required skill set and qualification to carry out the type of work required.

Experts are divided over the move. A retired bureaucrat of the central government said that instead of having a new card, government could have linked all these into existing card or number like an Aadhaar number. But Tahsin Zahid, chairman of the skills committee at industry lobby group PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said he thinks the card is a good idea.

“If a young person can carry it and it becomes a tool for better employment opportunity, then why not?,” Zahid asked.

The Union government is also exploring the launch of a revised social security smart card in the near future that will combine the service platforms of three schemes—the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (health and life insurance schemes) and the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.