PM Modi hands over 51,000 appointment letters, says Youth power will drive Viksit Bharat

New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited youth in various departments and organisations of the Government of India at the 20th Rozgar Mela, saying India's youth power would remain central to the country's journey towards a developed India, or Viksit Bharat.

Addressing the newly appointed candidates through video conferencing, Modi said the Rozgar Mela reflected the government's continuing effort to create new opportunities for young people and strengthen their participation in the country's development. "India's Yuva Shakti is at the heart of our journey towards a Viksit Bharat. The Rozgar Mela reflects our commitment to creating new opportunities for the youth," he said.

The 20th Rozgar Mela was organised simultaneously at 45 locations across the country, with the newly recruited candidates joining various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. Those receiving appointment letters included recruits to the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of Defence.

Modi said the talent and skills of India's young population had generated growing confidence around the world, with the country's innovators, entrepreneurs and young workforce attracting increasing expectations globally. "Hamare yuvaon ke talent aur skills ne poori duniya ka bharosa jeeta hai. Duniya ko hamare innovators, hamare entrepreneurs aur hamari yuva shakti se bahut ummeedein hain," he said. Linking employment opportunities with India's expanding engagement with the global economy, the Prime Minister said Free Trade Agreements were opening new avenues for both young people and entrepreneurs.

Such agreements, he said, were creating opportunities for partnerships and access to new markets while widening career possibilities for India's youth. "Free Trade Agreements hamare yuvaon ke liye sambhavnayon ke naye dwaar bana rahe hain," Modi said. "Is tarah ke trade agreements se hamare entrepreneurs ke liye nai partnerships ke raaste khulte hain, naye markets ke raaste khulte hain aur hamare yuvaon ke liye career mein nai possibilities banti hain."

The Prime Minister also highlighted India's expanding start-up ecosystem, saying entrepreneurial opportunities were spreading beyond the country's major metropolitan centres. "Bharat aaj duniya ka teesra sabse bada startup ecosystem hai," he said, adding that the country's start-up story was "ab keval bade shahron ki kahani nahi hai". Modi noted that nearly half of recognised start-ups were now located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which he said reflected the widening geographical reach of entrepreneurship and the emergence of new opportunities for young people beyond the largest urban centres. With the latest edition of the Rozgar Mela, around 12.75 lakh young people have received appointment letters in various government departments and organisations through the initiative, according to the government.

The Rozgar Mela has become a recurring feature of the government's recruitment and employment outreach, with appointment letters being distributed to newly selected candidates at events held simultaneously at locations across the country. The government has presented the initiative as an effort to accelerate recruitment to government posts, provide employment opportunities to qualified youth and strengthen manpower in key public institutions and public services.

The latest recruitment exercise comes against the backdrop of the government's broader emphasis on employment, skill development, entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for young people to participate in India's economic growth. These efforts have also been linked by the government to its larger Viksit Bharat objective of building a skilled, productive and globally competitive workforce.

The newly appointed candidates joining government service will take up responsibilities across a wide range of sectors, including revenue, railways, internal security, healthcare, financial services and defence. Modi's interaction with them also underscored the public-service dimension of their new responsibilities and the role of young government employees in delivering public services and contributing to the country's development journey.