Across poll-bound states in India, promises aimed at students and young people largely focus on education access, employment, skill development, and child welfare. Legislative Assembly election manifestos in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu reflect overlapping concerns around learning, livelihoods, and social support.
Keralam and West Bengal, both grappling with high youth unemployment, saw contrasting approaches. In Keralam, manifesto commitments include attempts to address outward migration through Global Capability Centres, stronger campus placements, and even a new campus of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). West Bengal, meanwhile, saw promises of immediate relief, with competing promises of direct monthly transfers ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 for unemployed youth aged 21 to 45 until they find jobs. Some parties also combined welfare with job creation, promising to fill vacant government posts, reinstate cancelled recruitment notifications, and boost employment through MSMEs.
Manifestos in Assam emphasised building education infrastructure and employment pathways, including proposals for a university, medical college, and engineering college in every district, alongside Rs 18,000 crore in flood relief for schools. Parties have also spoken of creating job opportunities for marginalised communities, especially Tea Tribes, while pledging to fill vacant teaching posts and support industrial revival.
In Puducherry, manifesto promises reflect local concerns, including domicile reservations in Group C and D government jobs and quotas for local students in public universities. Employment generation through small-scale industries, IT parks, and initiatives such as Pink Autos for women also figures in the mix. Tamil Nadu’s parties continue to combine welfare with development measures, from free laptops and expanded meal schemes to cash transfers for unemployed youth, internships through public-private partnerships, and IT parks in every district. Skilling also appears as a recurring response to concerns around jobs and mobility. Kerala’s Back to School programme, Tamil Nadu’s Naan Mudhalvan scheme, and the proposed upgrading of 1,000 CM Model Schools in Assam all fall within that broad approach. Entrepreneurship, too, finds space through interest-free loans in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and a Rs 1,000 crore MSME credit guarantee in Assam.
Women-focused welfare remains another major area. Promises include enhanced schemes for girl children in Tamil Nadu, pensions for women-headed BPL families in Kerala, cash transfers in West Bengal, entrepreneurship support in Assam, and free e-bikes for girl students in Puducherry.
Taken together, these manifestos show that student and youth outreach now combines direct financial support with measures focused on employability, skilling, and job creation. While gaps remain, particularly in mental health, quality of education, and protections for gig workers, they point to a broader understanding of what young people need. Whether this translates into meaningful outcomes after the polls is still uncertain.
Key indicators to track will include how quickly vacancies are filled, whether skilling programmes lead to actual jobs, and whether support for MSMEs and start-ups creates sustained employment. Budget allocations, rollout timelines, placement data, and labour force surveys will offer clearer answers.