The Chief Minister's Office of Maharashtra shared on Saturday, 27 June 2026 that the state government's Sarthi scheme has trained 2 lakh youth, with special initiatives making 13,000 students employment-ready, crediting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the programme's reach.

The post, written in Marathi, states: 'सारथीच्या माध्यमातून 2 लाख युवकांना प्रशिक्षण; विशेष उपक्रमांमुळेच 13 हजार विद्यार्थी रोजगारक्षम' — translated as 'Training for 2 lakh youth through Sarthi; 13,000 students made employment-ready through special initiatives.'

Context

Sarthi (Saarthi) is a Maharashtra government skilling and welfare programme that has been promoted under the Fadnavis administration to enhance employability among the state's youth. The scheme operates through structured vocational training modules and targeted outreach to students from underserved communities.

The announcement underscores the government's focus on quantifiable outcomes — specifically the number of trainees and those assessed as job-ready — as a measure of governance delivery in the employment sector.

Policy Backdrop

Maharashtra has aligned its skilling agenda with the national Skill India mission since 2014, when Devendra Fadnavis first assumed office as Chief Minister. Successive state budgets have earmarked funds for vocational training infrastructure, placement facilitation, and industry linkages.

BJP-led governments in the state have repeatedly spotlighted measurable training outputs — trainee counts, placement rates, and sector-wise certifications — as evidence of effective governance in addressing youth unemployment, a persistent concern in both urban and rural Maharashtra.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of Sarthi are young people — particularly students — seeking structured pathways into formal employment. The figure of 13,000 students deemed employment-ready through 'special initiatives' suggests a subset of the broader trainee pool received more intensive or sector-specific preparation.

Employers, vocational training partners, and educational institutions form the secondary stakeholder ring, as the scheme's success depends on industry absorption of certified candidates. Youth from Maharashtra's Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes communities have historically been among Sarthi's target groups.

What's Next

Observers will watch for the release of detailed progress reports on Sarthi placements, including sector-wise breakdowns and post-training income data, which would allow independent assessment of the scheme's impact beyond headline numbers.

Any revision to Sarthi's budget allocation in the upcoming Maharashtra state legislative session will be a key signal of the government's commitment to scaling the programme further, particularly as youth unemployment remains a politically sensitive issue ahead of local body elections.