Rozgar Mela: Dharmendra Pradhan hands over appointment letters to 204 youth

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in a continued effort to empower India’s youth through employment, addressed the 16th edition of the Rozgar Mela via videoconference on July 12, 2025. During this significant national initiative, more than 51,000 appointment letters were distributed to newly appointed personnel across multiple central government departments and organizations.

The Rozgar Mela, launched in October 2022, stands as a cornerstone of the Modi Government’s mission to promote inclusive economic growth and offer dignified employment opportunities to India’s burgeoning young workforce. This latest edition saw events conducted at 47 locations nationwide, including seven venues in Odisha, highlighting the program’s extensive geographic reach and growing impact.

Bhubaneswar Hosts Major Employment Ceremony

A flagship event was held at the Rail Auditorium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, personally handed over 204 appointment letters to newly recruited youth. Addressing the gathering, Shri Pradhan emphasized the transformative journey initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, reaffirming that the Rozgar Mela has already enabled employment for over 10 lakh youth since its inception.

He commended the Odisha Government for mirroring the central initiative by organizing Nijukti Melas, which have facilitated 25,000–30,000 jobs within just one year—an encouraging testament to cooperative federalism in action.

Government Commitment to Youth and Transparency

Shri Pradhan highlighted the Modi Government’s emphasis on good governance, transparency in recruitment, and a youth-centric vision for development. He remarked that this focus on jobs is part of a broader effort to convert India's demographic dividend into a powerful engine for growth, noting that the average age of India’s population is just 25, with a demographic advantage projected to last for the next 25–30 years.

With India recently surpassing Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, the Minister noted that creating dignified job opportunities—especially in government and emerging sectors—will be vital for sustaining this growth trajectory.

India’s Progress on Multiple Fronts

The Minister also drew attention to significant achievements in various sectors:

• Digital Transformation: India now leads the world in digital economy adoption, powered by platforms like UPI and extensive mobile connectivity.

• Poverty Alleviation: Over 25 crore people have been lifted above the Below Poverty Line (BPL) threshold in the last decade.

• Startup Boom: India has emerged as one of the top nations with a thriving startup ecosystem, offering employment and innovation opportunities.

• Food Security: From relying on foreign grain under PL-480, India now supports over 60% of its population with free food grain distribution through the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

He also recalled how India’s healthcare sector not only weathered the COVID-19 storm but rose to assist other nations with medicines and vaccines, demonstrating global leadership and resilience.

Youth Encouraged to Embrace Future Skills

Shri Pradhan encouraged the newly appointed individuals to continue striving for excellence in their service. He especially urged them to embrace future technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and platforms like ChatGPT for ongoing learning, upskilling, and professional advancement.

“This is not the end of your journey,” he said, “but the beginning of a greater responsibility. You are not just employees—you are nation builders.”

Dignitaries at the Bhubaneswar Event

The Bhubaneswar event saw the presence of numerous eminent officials from central government organizations, signifying the collaborative spirit of the employment drive. Notable dignitaries included:

• Shri Parameshwar Funkwal, GM, East Coast Railway

• Shri L.V.S.S. Patrudu, Principal Chief Personnel Officer, East Coast Railway

• Prof. Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director, AIIMS Bhubaneswar

• Shri Nirmaljit Singh, Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle

• Shri Prakash Chandra Nayak, Commissioner, GST, Central Excise & Customs, Bhubaneswar

• Shri Pradeep Kumar Ray, Registrar, IISER Berhampur

• Shri Goutam Patra, Chief Manager & Convenor, SLBC, Odisha

• Shri Nagesh Kumar, Deputy Commandant, CRPF

• Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, Addl. Director General, ICMR & Director-in-Charge, ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar

Their presence highlighted the diversity of government roles into which the youth are being integrated, ranging from railways and postal services to healthcare, academia, and paramilitary forces.

A Path Forward for India’s Aspirational Youth

As the 16th Rozgar Mela concludes, it stands as a symbol of the government’s enduring pledge to offer career stability and dignity of labor to the country’s youth. It reaffirms the vision of a New India, where inclusive development, technological innovation, and empowered human capital are the driving forces of national progress.