Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday distributed appointment letters to more than 51,000 youth in government departments and organisations via video conferencing at a ‘Rozgar Mela’, reflecting his regime’s commitment to prioritizing employment generation.

Addressing a function on the occasion, he noted the auspicious occasion of ‘Dhanteras’ and conveyed his best wishes on the occasion.

The ‘Rozgar Mela’ is being organised at 40 locations across the country with new recruits joining the central government across various ministries and departments such as the Department of Revenue, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare among others.

Underlining that this year’s Diwali would be a special one, the PM said that it is the first Diwali since Lord Shri Ram has been seated in his magnificent temple in Ayodhya after 500 years. He said that several generations have waited for this Diwali, while many have sacrificed their lives for it or faced adversities.

Mr Modi emphasised that the present generation is extremely fortunate to witness and become a part of such celebrations. In this atmosphere of festivity, the PM said, 51,000 youth are being handed out recruitment letters for government jobs. He congratulated the new recruits and conveyed his best wishes to them.

He highlighted that offering permanent government jobs to lakhs of youths has been a legacy which is continuously going on. He added that lakhs of youths were handed appointment letters even in the states being governed by the BJP and its NDA allies.

Mr Modi emphasised that in Haryana there is a festive atmosphere with 26,000 youths getting jobs by the newly-formed government .

He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure that the youth of the country get maximum employment. Noting that the policies and decisions of the government have a direct impact on job creation, he highlighted the development of expressways, highways, roads, rail, ports, airports, laying of fiber cables, setting up of mobile towers and expansion of new industries in all parts of the country.

Referring to laying of water and gas pipelines, establishing of new schools, colleges and universities and reducing logistics cost by spending on infrastructure, Mr Modi said that it is not only benefitting the citizens but also creating new job opportunities.

Recalling his visit to Vadodara in Gujarat yesterday, the PM mentioned inaugurating an aircraft manufacturing facility for the defence sector. He said that thousands of citizens would get direct employment while MSME industries would hugely benefit from the manufacturing of spare parts and other equipment, creating a huge network of supply chains.

The PM was of the view that whenever a scheme is launched, the focus is not just only on the benefits accrued to the citizens, but also develop an entire ecosystem of employment generation using it as a medium by thinking in a broader scope.

Noting that the Khadi industry of India has been transformed by the policies of the government in the last ten years and impacted the people in the villages, he informed that Khadi Gram Udyog’s business has surpassed 1.5 lakh crores today.

The PM stated that India is moving towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy. Reflecting on the country’s progress, he noted the inquisition by the youth of India who often ask why the country didn’t achieve this pace earlier.

Underlining that the answer lies in the lack of clear policies and intent in previous governments, the PM pointed out that India had been lagging behind in several sectors, particularly technology. He recalled that India used to wait for new technologies from around the world and what was considered outdated in the West would eventually reach the nation.

He pointed out the long withstanding belief that modern technology could not be developed in India not only set India back in terms of growth but also deprived the country of crucial job opportunities.

Highlighting the steps taken to free the country from this old thinking, he stated that efforts were initiated to break free from this old mindset in sectors like space, semiconductors, electronics and electric vehicles by promoting Make in India.

The PM underscored the importance of technological advancement and investment. He reiterated that the government is very focused on skill development today to increase the capacity of the youth of India.