Record govt jobs provided in one and a half years says Narendra Modi

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government has provided nearly 10 lakh permanent government jobs to youths in the last one or one and a half years which, he asserted, is a record. Addressing recruits at a Rozgar Mela through a virtual event, where over 71,000 people were given appointment letters, he said never before in the tenure of any previous government were jobs provided in such a "mission mode".

The young population is at the centre of his government's policies and programmes, he said, adding honesty and transparency have driven the recruitment process. The prime minister said 'Rozgar Melas' (recruitment drives) are empowering the youth and unlocking their potential. "The youth of India today is full of new confidence, succeeding in every sector." Noting that a large number of recruits are women, Modi said it is the endeavour of his government that they become self-dependent in every field.

The government's decision to grant 26-week maternity leave to women has helped them a lot in their careers, he said and underscored that women are the majority owners of the house constructed under the 'PM Awas Yojana'. Women-led development is taking place in the country, he said. Modi said making maximum use of the Indian youths' abilities and talent is a priority of his government, and that they are at the centre of a host of schemes, be it start-up India, digital India or reforms in space and defence sectors.

The National Education Policy has taken steps for the development of youngsters, he said, highlighting its emphasis on the use of mother tongues. His government has ensured that language is not a barrier by ensuring that youngsters can take recruitment exams in 13 Indian languages, he added.

Noting that former prime minister Charan Singh, whose birth anniversary is being observed on Monday, stood for the development of rural India and for the country's progress, Modi said his government has followed this by creating job and self-employment opportunities in villages. It was his government's good fortune to bestow Bharat Ratna on Singh earlier this year, he said.

Speaking at the event, Union minister Jitendra Singh said more than 29 per cent of the 71,000 recruited came from the Other Backward Classes category.