Vast youth power, democracy greatest capital of India: PM Modi

Jammu, Jul 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that India held a unique potential to use its infinite powers of the world’s largest youth population and democracy to shape its future on the global stage.

He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the 16th Rozgar Mela via videoconferencing at 47 locations, including Convention Centre, Jammu.

The PM distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly appointed youth in various government departments and organisations on this occasion.

Greeting the new appointees, he said that the occasion marked the beginning of new responsibilities for them and, despite different roles, their common goal should remain national service, guided by the principle of “Citizen First.”

Referring to his government’s initiatives to create new employment opportunities in the private sector, PM Modi said that under the new “Employment Linked Incentive Scheme”, young individuals who get their first job in the private sector, would be provided Rs 15,000.

“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,” he said.

The PM emphasised 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.

“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. Today, India is home to nearly 300 units related to mobile phone manufacturing, employing lakhs of young people,” he said.

PM Modi emphasised the unmatched strengths of India’s demographic and democratic foundations.

He said that the vast youth power was India’s greatest capital, and the government was 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,” the PM said.

He said that the various agreements signed during this tour on critical sectors like defence, pharmaceuticals, digital technology, energy, and rare earth minerals would 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,” PM Modi said.

Emphasising the importance of innovation, startups, and research, he spoke of the growing ecosystem in India that empowers young people to dream big.

The PM also talked about 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.

PM Modi said that the automobile sector had attracted 40 billion US dollars in FDI in just five years, resulting in new factories, new job opportunities, and record vehicle sales.

Underscoring the far-reaching impact of India’s welfare initiatives, he cited a recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, which confirmed that over 90 crore Indian citizens were covered under government welfare schemes over the past decade.

The PM said that these schemes were not limited to welfare benefits alone, but played a crucial role in generating large-scale employment, particularly in rural India.

In this connection, he also elaborated on his various flagship programmes.

“The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which offers over Rs 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,” PM Modi said.

He said that the country was also progressing with its mission to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, and 1.5 crore women had already achieved this milestone.

The PM emphasised that it was the impact of these numerous schemes that, in just the past 10 years, 25 crore people came 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,” he said.

PM Modi 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.

Notably, more than 10 lakh recruitment letters have been issued so far through the Rozgar Melas across the country.

The recruits, selected from across the country, would join the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Posts, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Labour and Employment among other departments and ministries.