PAN India, Mar 23: Healthy, educated and capable youth will form the foundation of a Viksit Uttar Pradesh. To realize this vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government has taken consistent and concrete steps over the past 9 years.
As a result, significant transformation has been witnessed in the fields of youth empowerment and employment generation. Through transparent government initiatives, the youth of the state are becoming economically stronger and self-reliant.
The government aims not to limit youth to jobs alone, but to connect them with skills, technology and entrepreneurship so that they can drive the state’s economy forward.
Large scale training programmes are being conducted to link skill development with employment. More than 25.80 lakh youth have been trained in various trades through ITIs and the Skill Development Mission. A majority of them have already secured employment.
Under the Chief Minister Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, more than 1 lakh youth have been registered and are being trained in industries and institutions. This initiative is helping align youth skills with industry requirements.
Considering the rapidly evolving global economy, efforts are also being made to train youth in modern technologies. Training in emerging sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, advanced computing and robotics is being provided to prepare students in line with Industry 4.0. This will enable the youth of the state to compete at the global level in the future.
Experts believe that the large youth population of Uttar Pradesh is its greatest strength. The government aims to equip youth with skills that provide opportunities not only at the national level but also internationally.
Through the convergence of investment, skill development and technical training, efforts are being made to develop the state as a global skill hub. If this momentum continues, Uttar Pradesh can emerge as the largest youth workforce and a major centre of industrial growth in the coming years.
Before 2017, youth in Uttar Pradesh faced several challenges. The unemployment rate was high and local employment opportunities were limited. In February 2016, the unemployment rate was around 18 percent. Recruitment in government jobs was marked by nepotism and corruption.
These recruitments often remained pending for years, and there was a lack of focus on training youth according to industry needs. Industrial investment was either stagnant or too slow, leading to a growing number of unemployed youth. As a result, many had to migrate outside the state in search of jobs.
The Yogi Government is also focusing on making youth technologically empowered. Under the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana, more than 49.86 lakh tablets and smartphones have been distributed. The target is to provide digital devices to 2 crore youth. Access to digital resources is helping youth connect with new opportunities in education, training and employment.
Under the strict directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, several reforms have been implemented to ensure transparency and fairness in government recruitment. More than 9 lakh youth have been provided government jobs through various commissions and recruitment boards. To maintain the integrity of examinations, the Public Examination Unfair Means Prevention Law has been implemented.
Additionally, a One Time Registration system has been introduced in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission to simplify the application process. Interviews have been eliminated for direct recruitment to Group B non gazetted and Group C posts, further strengthening transparency.
The impact of increased employment opportunities is reflected in the unemployment rate. While it was around 18 percent in February 2016, it has now declined to 2.21 percent. This reduction indicates that the policies related to employment generation and skill development in the state have been effective.
