Union Minister Flags Off Skill Rath: Focus on Making Youth Self-Reliant through Skill Development

Skill Development Vital for Empowering Youth and Farmers – Union Minister Jayant Choudhary

Jaipur : The Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge), Mr. Jayant Choudhary, addressed the youth and farmers during a public skill dialogue at the Nagar Vikas Nyas Auditorium in Bharatpur on Sunday. He also flagged off the ‘Skill Rath’ (Skill Chariot) operated by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the district.

In his address, Mr. Choudhary emphasized that youth and farmers can benefit greatly from modern technology and skill enhancement. He pointed out that by developing their skills, the youth can advance in various fields. He also highlighted that 65 lakh farmers in the state are receiving direct benefits through the PM Samman Nidhi Yojana, with ₹8,000 being transferred directly into their accounts. Additionally, youth across the country are being empowered through schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), PM Vishwakarma Yojana, and ITIs. The aim is to make the youth self-reliant.

Mr. Choudhary noted that both the private sector and educational institutions are actively working towards enhancing the skills of the youth. He assured that the budget for these initiatives would not be reduced and that entrepreneurs would continue to develop the skills required by the workforce through targeted training.

He further explained that the central government is providing employment opportunities for the youth across various sectors through skill development. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana, launched for the first time, is specifically focused on upgrading the skills of citizens working in traditional trades. The scheme aims to train 30 lakh people over three years, with an allocated budget of ₹13,000 crores. So far, 9 lakh people have been trained in one year, with three ministries working in coordination to achieve these goals.

The Minister encouraged local representatives to take a proactive role in addressing the challenges faced by villages, which will contribute to their rapid development. In Bharatpur, 5,500 individuals have already registered under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, and 11 institutions have been identified for conducting training, with 7 of these institutions currently active. He also encouraged the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ITIs to train youth in 18 trades, with a focus on making rural youth self-reliant. He called for the adoption of new agricultural technologies and motivated the youth to explore different disciplines.

Mr. Choudhary expressed his commitment to making the Braj region a leader in skill development and education, with Bharatpur being developed as a “Skilled City.” After Diwali, a skill fair (Skill Mela) will be organized in Bharatpur to match local industries’ needs with skilled youth and provide employment opportunities. He announced the allocation of ₹15 lakh for Ikaran village and ₹10 lakh for Murwara village from the Rajya Sabha MP’s fund, to be used for developing playgrounds and providing sports equipment. He also met with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce in Sector-3 Mukherjee Nagar to discuss and hear their suggestions.

Bharatpur MLA Dr. Subhash Garg informed the audience about the Rath’s schedule. The Skill Rath will visit various schools between 23 September and 1 November, providing information on skill enhancement, training, and employment opportunities through 15 onboard computers. He urged farmers and youth to take full advantage of these schemes and advocated for excluding Bharatpur from the National Capital Region (NCR).

The event was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Anil Kumar, former MP Maluk Nagar, Uttar Pradesh MLA Pradeep Chaudhary from Sadabad, and Nauhwar MLA Yogesh.