UP Cabinet approves 'Rozgar Mission' to boost youth employment, amends labour laws for women

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, approved the formation of the 'UP Rozgar Mission'. This new initiative aims to significantly boost employment opportunities for the state's youth, both within India and internationally, by bypassing third-party recruitment agencies. State Labour and Employment Minister Anil Rajbhar announced that the mission has a clear target: to send 25,000 to 30,000 unemployed youth abroad and provide employment to nearly one lakh youth within India's private sector annually.

Minister Rajbhar explained that previously, the state government relied on external institutions with recruitment licenses (RAs) for overseas placements. With the establishment of the 'UP Rozgar Mission', the state will obtain its own RA, enabling it to directly arrange placements in high-demand global sectors such as nursing, paramedical, skilled labor, driving, and domestic work. This move is driven by a rising global demand for Indian manpower and seeks to streamline the process for job seekers.

In addition to the employment mission, the cabinet also approved crucial amendments to existing labor regulations to increase women's participation in factory work. Historically, women were barred from working in 29 categories of hazardous industries. While restrictions were lifted from four such industries in December last year, the latest changes are expected to further empower women in the workforce. Rajbhar highlighted that currently, only about 5% of factories in the state employ women (dropping to 1% excluding Noida), and these revisions are deemed necessary to align with technological advancements and the state's women's empowerment goals. These decisions are considered a "big step" towards Uttar Pradesh's economic transformation and social empowerment, supporting the state's broader target of becoming a $1 trillion economy.