Young people playing significant role in nation-building: PM

New Delhi, Jul 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday addressed the Rozgar Mela and distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly appointed youth in various Government departments and organizations via videoconferencing.
Addressing the gathering, he emphasized that today marks the beginning of new responsibilities for these youth in different departments of the Government of India. He congratulated the young individuals on beginning their service in various departments, emphasizing that despite different roles, their common goal is national service, guided by the principle of “Citizen First.”
The Prime Minister emphasized the unmatched strengths of India’s demographic and democratic foundations. He underlined that India, with the world’s largest youth population and the largest democracy, holds unique potential to shape the future both domestically and on the global stage. The Prime Minister noted that this vast youth power is India’s greatest capital, and the government is steadfast in its efforts to convert this capital into a catalyst for long-term prosperity.
“Just two days ago, I returned from a visit to five countries. In every nation I visited, the strength of India’s youth echoed strongly. The agreements signed during this tour will benefit Indian youth both within the country and abroad”, Modi said.
He further stated that the various agreements signed during this tour on critical sectors such as defence, pharmaceuticals, digital technology, energy, and rare earth minerals will create far-reaching benefits. “These initiatives will not only strengthen India’s global economic standing but also generate meaningful opportunities for young Indians in both manufacturing and services”, Modi added.
Addressing the evolving landscape of employment, the Prime Minister highlighted that the nature of jobs is undergoing rapid transformation in the 21st century. Emphasizing the importance of innovation, startups, and research, he spoke of the growing ecosystem in India that empowers young people to dream big. He shared his personal pride and confidence in the new generation, expressing joy at seeing youth stepping forward with ambition, vision, and a strong desire to create something new.
Modi stated that the Government of India is also focusing on creating new employment opportunities in the private sector. Recently, the government has approved a new scheme called the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme, the government will provide ₹15,000 to young individuals who get their first job in the private sector. “In other words, the government will contribute to the first salary of their first job. For this, the government has allocated a budget of approximately Rs 1 lakh crore. This scheme is expected to help in the creation of about 3.5 crore new jobs,” Modi added.
The Prime Minister emphasized the transformative power of India’s manufacturing sector in driving national growth, generating employment, and accelerating India’s journey toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy. The Prime Minister noted that in recent years there has been significant strengthening of the Make in India initiative. Through the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme alone, more than 1.1 million jobs have been created across the country. There has been an unprecedented expansion in the mobile phone and electronics sector. “Today, electronics manufacturing in India is worth nearly Rs 11 lakh crore, marking more than a fivefold increase over the past 11 years. Earlier, there were only 2 to 4 units manufacturing mobile phones in the country. Today, India is home to nearly 300 units related to mobile phone manufacturing, employing lakhs of young people,” Modi stated.
The Prime Minister also spoke of India’s rise as a global leader in defence manufacturing, with output exceeding Rs 1.25 lakh crore. He praised India’s emergence as the largest locomotive producer in the world, and the country’s strong export performance in locomotives, rail coaches, and metro coaches. The automobile sector, he added, has attracted $40 billion in FDI in just five years, resulting in new factories, new job opportunities, and record vehicle sales.
The Prime Minister underscored the far-reaching impact of India’s welfare initiatives, citing a recent International Labour Organization (ILO) report which confirms that over 90 crore Indian citizens have been covered under government welfare schemes over the past decade. These schemes, he noted, are not limited to welfare benefits alone, but have played a crucial role in generating large-scale employment, particularly in rural India.
The Prime Minister elaborated on flagship programs such as the PM Awas Yojana, under which 4 crore permanent houses have been built and 3 crore more are under construction. The construction of 12 crore toilets under Swachh Bharat has led to employment for plumbers and construction workers, while over 10 crore LPG connections provided under the Ujjwala Yojana have driven expansion in bottling infrastructure and delivery networks, resulting in the creation of thousands of distribution centres and lakhs of new jobs.
“The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which offers over ₹75,000 per household for rooftop solar installations, is reducing household electricity bills and creating job opportunities for technicians, engineers, and solar panel manufacturers. Namo Drone Didi, has empowered rural women by training them as drone pilots,” Modi added.
Modi remarked that the country is also progressing with its mission to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, and 1.5 crore women have already achieved this milestone. Various schemes like Bank Sakhi, Bima Sakhi, Krishi Sakhi, and Pashu Sakhi have enabled women to find sustainable employment.He mentioned that the PM SVANidhi scheme has extended formal assistance to street vendors and hawkers, bringing millions into mainstream economic activity. Simultaneously, the PM Vishwakarma Scheme is revitalizing traditional artisans, craftsmen, and service providers through access to training, tools, and credit.
The Prime Minister emphasised that it is the impact of these numerous schemes that, in just the past ten years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. “Without employment opportunities, such a transformation would not have been possible. This is why today, major global institutions like the World Bank are praising India. India is now being counted among the top nations in the world with the highest levels of equality,” Modi stated.
The Prime Minister described the current phase as a Mahayagya of development, a national mission dedicated to poverty eradication and employment generation and called on the country’s youth and new government appointees to take this mission forward with renewed energy and dedication.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister invoked the guiding ethos of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” of treating every citizen as divine, and extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the new appointees for a bright and meaningful future in public service.