In this February 2024 photo, youngsters crowd Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station to board a train ahead of a police recruitment examination in the state (Photo: Vishal Srivastav)
Focusing on the issue of unemployment, this year’s Budget for Uttar Pradesh, presented in the Assembly on Wednesday, is aimed at generating jobs for youth by laying significant emphasis on industrial expansion, emerging technologies, skill development, and entrepreneurship.
Signalling a shift towards job-oriented economic growth, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a post-Budget press meet said: “An attempt has been made in this Budget to take forward Uttar Pradesh in its new role of employment generator along with that of investment destination.”
Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, in his Budget speech, emphasised that while capital investment and infrastructure development play a vital role in strengthening the economy, providing employment opportunities to the state’s youth and equipping them with the necessary skills is equally important.
Accordingly, the Budget allotted Rs 550 crore for the establishment of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Employment and Industrial Zones across the 75 districts in the state. Its aim: to create employment opportunities at the local level and promote investment in the district. An additional Rs 25 crore has been provided for the initial implementation of the scheme.
Linked to this scheme is another new scheme – One District, One Cuisine – to boost local enterprise and market linkages.
The government has also proposed a Rs 30 crore corpus for setting up a state-level U-Hub in Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) to strengthen the startup ecosystem and encourage youth-led entrepreneurship.
The Budget also reflects a strong focus on the digital economy and future technologies as key employment drivers.
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A provision of Rs 225 crore has been made for the Uttar Pradesh AI Mission (UP-AIM), while Rs 100 crore has been allocated for the development of a Data Centre Cluster and Rs 10 crore for establishing a State Data Center Authority.
To promote innovation in advanced sectors, Rs 70 crore on the revenue side and Rs 30 crore on the capital side have been earmarked for the New and Emerging Technologies Mission covering robotics, photonics, quantum technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Additionally, Rs 100 crore has been provided under the Tech Yuva-Samarth Scheme to equip youth with industry-relevant digital skills.
In the education and skill ecosystem, Rs 150 crore has been allocated for setting up Dream Skill Lab Clusters in secondary schools to align vocational training with industry needs. The government has also proposed Rs 50 crore for a Research and Development Innovation Fund in state universities to encourage high-quality research and innovation.
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Speaking in the Assembly, Khanna noted that individuals possessing technical skills or proficiency in any trade are unlikely to remain unemployed. “To this end, large-scale employment-oriented training and skill enhancement programmes will be run in mission mode on a priority basis. Alongside formal education, arrangements will be made to strengthen the skill base of the youth. The capacity of existing skill development training centres will be enhanced, and new centres will be set up across the state. Private sector participation will also be ensured in this campaign through public-private partnership (PPP) mode,” he said, adding separate centres will be set up for women to increase their participation in the workforce, the minister added.
To help youths, the government has proposed an allocation of Rs 5 crore for the construction of hostels for Uttar Pradesh students studying in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Rs 20 crore for women’s hostels for students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses in higher education institutions.
For the handloom and textile sector, about Rs 541 crore has been proposed – more than five times the previous year’s allocation. The government has set a target of generating 30,000 jobs in the textile sector in 2026-27.
To strengthen sports infrastructure and promote career opportunities in athletics, Rs 80 crore has been earmarked for sports colleges in 10 divisions.
Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development.
Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity.
Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More
