Union Minister of State, Dr. L. Murugan, on Saturday said that the unemployment rate in the country has declined from 6 per cent to 3.2 per cent due to various initiatives undertaken by the government.
Speaking at the 20th Rozgar Mela held at D.G. Vaishnav College in Chennai on Saturday, Dr. Murugan highlighted the role of flagship initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-up India and the MUDRA loan scheme in creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Rozgar Mela through video conferencing and distributed appointment letters to more than 51,000 newly recruited youth at 45 locations across the country.
In Chennai, Dr. Murugan distributed appointment letters to 285 newly recruited candidates selected for various Central Government ministries, departments and organisations. The recruits include those joining the Income Tax Department, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Defence, Department of Posts, JIPMER and Southern Railway.
The Union Minister said the newly recruited youth would play an important role in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He urged them to view their appointment not merely as securing employment but as an opportunity to serve the nation and contribute to its development.
Dr. Murugan emphasised that government employees represent the government while interacting with citizens and called for honesty, accountability, empathy and a humane approach in public service.
Highlighting the growth of entrepreneurship, the Minister said the number of startups in the country has increased from around 400 in 2014 to more than 2.5 lakh. He added that a significant number of startup founders are below the age of 30.
He also stressed the need for continuous learning, adoption of new technologies and regular upgradation of professional skills. He highlighted emerging opportunities for young people in frontier sectors such as space technology and atomic energy.
The Minister further noted the increasing participation of women in sectors including space, defence, education, governance and public administration.
According to the Ministry, more than 12.75 lakh appointment letters have been distributed through Rozgar Melas so far.
Later, speaking to the media, Dr. Murugan said Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu would provide students from underprivileged and economically weaker sections access to quality education. He said the schools would facilitate primary education in students’ mother tongues while also providing opportunities to learn different Indian languages.
