Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar launched the Yuva Nidhi scheme, the fifth poll guarantee of the Congress for educated unemployed youth of Karnataka, in Shivamogga on January 12. Apart from their Cabinet colleagues, thousands of people and youths from Shivamogga and neighbouring districts turned up for the launch.
The scheme offers financial aid to graduates and diploma holders who are yet to get a job, but only for a maximum of two years. Training will be provided to the graduates and diploma holders who register themselves on the skill connect portal of the State Government.
The government has promised ₹3,000 per month to degree holders and ₹1,500 per month to diploma holders who were unable to get a job in the past six months and are not pursuing higher studies. The aid will be paid for two years.
The launch was held on the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda. Organisers had made arrangements for close to one lakh people to witness the launch.
More than one lakh beneficiaries from Shivamogga, Davangere, Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Udupi and Haveri districts were expected to participate in the event.
Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Sharan Prakash Patil, whose department is implementing Yuva Nidhi, said that the scheme is applicable only to graduates and diploma holders whose domicile is Karnataka.
The unemployment allowance will be available till the applicant gets a job, or for a maximum of two years.
Applications can be submitted at Karnataka One, Grama One, Bapuji Seva Kendra or Seva Sindhu portals. An applicant must possess Aadhaar card, bank passbook, ration card, mark sheets of SSLC, PUC, degree or diploma.
The Minister said nearly 70,000 youths had registered for the Yuva Nidhi scheme. The department would provide financial assistance to them for two years. In addition, the department would develop skills among the youth and take up activities to ensure that they get jobs in India and abroad.
Addressing the gathering, Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure that farmers of Malnad region, who gave up their land for the Sharavathi project, get land grants. Mr. Bangarappa, who is also minister in charge of Shivamogga district, said the farmers had been facing difficulty to get alternative land. Similarly, many forest dwellers too had not been granted land.
“Please ensure our farmers get the grant certificates,” he said.
He also requested the CM to name the Freedom Park in Shivamogga after Allama Prabhu, mystic poet of the 12th century, who was a native of Balligavi in Shikaripur taluk.
Enrolment drive for Yuva Nidhi in Mysuru
In Mysuru, Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra launched an enrolment drive for the Yuva Nidhi scheme on January 12.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Rajendra called upon the youth to ensure that the allowance is not misused. He suggested that the allowance be used for either further studies or in their self-employment initiatives. He advised the youth to imbibe the principles of Swami Vivekananda in their lives and become a model for others.
The State Government has earmarked ₹250 crore for the scheme this year. It expects the amount to go up to ₹1,200 crore in 2025, and ₹1,500 crore annually from 2026 onwards.
This is the last of the five guarantees promised by the Congress to the people of Karnataka before the Assembly elections in May 2023. The Congress has already launched four of the five guarantees, which are Shakti — free rides to women in non-luxury government buses, Anna Bhagya — offering 10 kg rice to BPL families, Gruha Jyoti — free electricity up to 200 units to households, and Gruha Lakshmi — ₹2,000 per month to women heads of families having APL/BPL ration cards.
(With inputs from PTI)
