Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that every youth in the state will be assured a minimum wage, making UP the first state in the country to implement such a guarantee.
He stated that companies must pay their employees fairly and warned that exploitation of workers would not be tolerated. Any additional financial burden, he added, would be borne by the state government to ensure job security, dignity of work and full protection of labour rights.
Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Rozgar Mahakumbh 2025 in Lucknow, Adityanath described the youth as a “reservoir of immense energy” and the biggest strength of Uttar Pradesh.
He noted that the state, once marked by mass migration in search of jobs, is now generating employment within its borders due to consistent policy efforts over the past eight years.
The Chief Minister highlighted the transformation brought by schemes such as One District One Product (ODOP), which he said gave traditional industries global recognition. Today, nearly 96 lakh MSME units are operational in the state, absorbing even the large number of migrant workers who returned during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that registered entrepreneurs have been given Rs 5 lakh insurance cover, with each unit employing between two to ten youths.
The CM underlined several initiatives to boost self-employment, including the Vishwakarma Shram Samman and PM Vishwakarma schemes, which provide toolkits, affordable loans and training to traditional artisans like carpenters, masons, potters, and goldsmiths. He also noted the success of the CM Yuva Udyami Scheme, launched earlier this year, under which over 70,000 youth have set up their own enterprises with interest-free, collateral-free loans.
According to Adityanath, more than 8.5 lakh youth have secured government jobs in the last eight years, with significant recruitment in police, health, education and public works.
He said over 33 sectoral policies and platforms such as Invest UP and Nivesh Mitra have drawn investments worth Rs 15 lakh crore, creating jobs for 60 lakh youth.
The CM also emphasised training in emerging technologies such as AI, robotics, and drones under the Skill Development Mission, while partnerships with Tata Technologies have modernised ITIs and polytechnics. Language training is being provided to youth seeking overseas jobs to remove communication barriers.
Calling the Rozgar Mahakumbh a “bridge between youth and industry,” Adityanath said the event aims not just to offer jobs but also to align training with the needs of a rapidly changing technological landscape.
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