BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government's decision to label unemployed youths in the state as "Aakanshi Yuva" (aspirational youths) has invited criticism from the opposition Congress, which accused it of making a mockery of jobless persons.
The state's Rojgar Portal used the term "Aakanshi Yuva" while listing the number of unemployed youths in Madhya Pradesh and displayed their numbers as more than 29.37 lakh.
Minister of State for Technical Education and Skill Development Gautam Tentwal on Saturday said that the government's thinking behind Aakanshi Yuva is that youths working in government or non-government jobs aspire to get higher positions, and unemployed youngsters aspire for jobs and get registered in the employment office.
Defending the government's move, BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi told PTI, "The Bharatiya Janata Party government's efforts in Madhya Pradesh and the country is to provide employment, i.e., self-employment. That is why the state government organised a mega global investors meet, where opportunities for employment and self-employment are created."
He said "aspiring youth" awakens a different sentiment, which is the idea of "self-employment based on their talent and skill development".
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently emphasised that unemployment cannot be eradicated solely through government jobs.
A recent government release stated, "In a country like India, with a population of 1.45 billion, the proportion of government jobs is not more than one per cent. Even the country's largest employer, the Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, employs only 1.35 million personnel."
It said the state is making efforts to connect aspirational youth with employment through self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
"From now on, unemployed youth in the state will be referred to as 'aspirational youth (Akankshi Yuva)," the release said.
The chief minister also shared that Madhya Pradesh has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 30 lakh crore through the Global Investors Summit and Regional Industry Conclaves.
These investments will generate employment for 21 lakh youths, he said, adding that young people will also be engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, and skill-based enterprises.
Congress has, however, slammed the state government, accusing it of making a mockery of unemployed youth in the state.
Taking to X, Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar said, "The educated youth who have no work despite having qualifications are 'unemployed'! As the MP government is unable to provide them employment despite many assurances, it has made a mockery of their helplessness by coining the new term 'aspirational yuva'," he wrote in the post in Hindi.
"Someone should ask the Mohan Yadav government what it wants to prove by calling the #unemployed aspiring youth?" he said.
Singhar pointed out that recruitments of sub-inspectors, subedars, accountants and sub-auditors were pending for eight years.
He accused the state government of playing with the lives of the unemployed youth to hide its shortcomings.
The Congress leader also hit out at the government for changing the names of places and institutions to hide its ineffective governance.
He said that after the Vyapam controversy (alleged scam in admission in professional courses and recruitment in government jobs), the government changed the name of the institution to the MP Employees Selection Board, but nothing much has been done to bring down the unemployment rate in the state.
Singhar said such tactics are an eyewash, and the government should seriously do something to reduce the unemployment rate in the state.