Chennai: Union minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan on Saturday said the country’s unemployment rate had declined from 6% to 3.2%, attributing the change to various government initiatives aimed at creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Murugan was speaking at the 20th Rozgar Mela held at D.G. Vaishnav College in Chennai, where he handed over appointment letters to 285 newly recruited candidates selected for various central government departments and organisations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the nationwide Rozgar Mela through video conference as the event was held simultaneously at 45 locations. More than 51,000 newly recruited youth received appointment letters across the country.
The recruits receiving appointment letters in Chennai were selected for organisations including the Income Tax Department, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Airports Authority of India, Ministry of Defence, Department of Posts, JIPMER and Southern Railway.
Murugan said government service should be viewed as an opportunity to serve citizens rather than merely as employment. He urged the new recruits to uphold honesty, accountability and empathy while discharging their responsibilities.
Highlighting employment-related schemes, the minister cited Make in India, Start-up India, Stand-Up India and the MUDRA loan scheme, saying these initiatives had helped create opportunities for young people to become entrepreneurs as well as job seekers.
He also said the number of startups in India had risen from around 400 in 2014 to more than 2.5 lakh, with many startup founders being below 30 years of age.
The minister stressed the need for continuous learning and skill development as technology evolves, pointing to emerging opportunities in sectors such as space technology and atomic energy. He also highlighted women’s participation across sectors including defence, education, governance and public administration.
According to Murugan, more than 12.75 lakh appointment letters have been distributed through Rozgar Melas so far.
Later, speaking to the media, Murugan said Navodaya schools in Tamil Nadu would provide quality education to students from underprivileged and economically weaker sections, while also offering opportunities to learn Indian languages.
Senior officials, including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Sunil Bajpai, newly recruited candidates and their families attended the event.
