Youth, jobs get a big slice of TG Budget pie

Hyderabad: The State government has outlined a comprehensive plan for youth and employment during the budget presentation for the fiscal year 2025-26. State Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka announced a proposed allocation of Rs 900 crore for Youth and Employment to enhance job opportunities for young people. This includes initiatives such as the Young India Skills University in Mucharla, which aims to create 30,000 jobs annually.

The government is collaborating with the Singapore government’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to train master trainers and align courses with industry needs. Five courses have already been introduced, with more planned in fields such as Animation, Tourism, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced technologies. Regarding unemployment rates in the state, the Minister noted a decline from 22.9 per cent in September 2023 to 18.1 per cent in 2024. He attributed this decrease to skill training programmes and job recruitment efforts, which have filled 57,946 positions across various sectors and added 30,228 new government jobs. To support marginalised communities, the government launched the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam scheme, aimed at empowering SC, ST, BC, and minority youth through self-employment opportunities, starting with an initial allocation of Rs 6,000 crore. Eligible individuals can receive financial assistance of up to Rs 4 lakh. Additionally, the Rajiv Gandhi Civil Services Abhaya Hastam scheme offers Rs 2 lakh to aspiring civil servants based on their exam progress.

The government is also transforming 65 industrial training institutes into Advanced Technology Centres, aiming to provide skill training for 1,00,000 people annually. This initiative includes a partnership with Tata Technology Services, offering various long-term and short-term training courses to equip Telangana’s youth for the future job market. The Finance Minister stated that the Group-1, Group-2, and Group-3 examinations were conducted as scheduled and orders have been issued to fill 14,236 Anganwadi positions. He emphasised the importance of youth contribution to the state’s formation, and how their aspirations were neglected by previous governments.