Yogi Adityanath launches Sardar Patel skill scheme, attacks Cong and SP over youth policy
Synopsis
On Sardar Patel's 151st birth anniversary, Yogi Adityanath launched a new skill-training scheme covering all 75 UP districts — and turned the occasion into a direct attack on Congress and SP, alleging they treated the state's youth as a liability while his government built an asset. With overseas placement cells and language training built in, the scheme is a calculated bet on UP's demographic dividend.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath launched the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Skill Training and Employment Area Development Scheme in Lucknow on 31 October .
All 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh will be linked to nine skill-training and employment zones within three years .
First-phase centres are being set up in Lucknow , Kanpur , Gorakhpur , Gautam Buddh Nagar , and Jhansi .
Centres will offer training in Indian and foreign languages, with dedicated placement cells and hostel facilities.
Adityanath claimed over 9.5 lakh direct government jobs and 3.25 crore ODOP-linked jobs in the last nine-and-a-half years — figures not independently verified.
He alleged Congress and SP treated the state's youth as a 'burden', contrasting their record with the BJP-led government's approach.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday, 31 October launched the 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Skill Training and Employment Area Development Scheme' in Lucknow, using the occasion to sharply allege that the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) had long treated the state's young workforce as a 'burden' — a charge both parties have not yet responded to. The scheme was unveiled on the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
What the Scheme Entails
Under the new initiative, all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh will be linked to nine skill-training and employment zones over the next three years. In the first phase, major skill centres are being developed in Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Jhansi.
Each centre will feature a dedicated placement cell and hostel facilities for outstation students. Notably, keeping overseas employment opportunities in view, the centres will offer training in both Indian and foreign languages — a design choice that signals an intent to channel Uttar Pradesh's demographic dividend into international labour markets.
Adityanath's Remarks on Youth and Development
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh is 'even more fortunate' than the rest of India because it has the youngest population in the country. 'Our young workforce, the talent and energy of our youth, is our biggest strength,' he asserted.
He alleged that the opposition had failed to leverage this demographic reality. 'Congress and SP leaders viewed it as a burden. We regarded it as an asset. We connected this scale with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's skill development mission. When scale is combined with skill, employment opportunities naturally follow,' he said.
He also urged students to pursue skill-development courses alongside their regular studies under the dual-degree framework.
Employment Claims and the ODOP Record
The Chief Minister cited figures from his government's tenure, stating that over the last nine-and-a-half years, more than 9.5 lakh young people have received direct government jobs, while over 3.25 crore people have found employment through the 'One District, One Product (ODOP)' initiative. These figures have not been independently verified.
He also alleged that his government has 'dismantled' the state's once-entrenched mafia networks, contrasting what he described as a past system of 'one district, one mafia' with the present ODOP framework. Additionally, he claimed the digital revolution had ended the role of middlemen, with welfare funds now reaching beneficiaries directly.
Modi's Legacy and Patel's Vision
In a broader political frame, Adityanath invoked the memory of Sardar Patel to credit Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fulfilling the 'Iron Man's' vision of a united India. He claimed India is now 'free from terrorism, separatism, extremism, and Naxalism' — a sweeping assertion that critics have historically contested on verifiable grounds.
He also recalled that when Modi took office in 2014, India was counted among the 'Fragile Five' economies and was viewed as one of the most unstable on the global stage. Today, he argued, India has emerged as one of the world's top five economies.
With 75 districts set to be skill-linked and overseas placement cells in the pipeline, the scheme's execution timeline will be closely watched as Uttar Pradesh approaches its next electoral cycle.
Point of View
Or becomes another layer of state infrastructure with opaque outcomes. The ODOP employment figure of 3.25 crore is a staggering claim for a single state initiative and has not been subjected to third-party audit. With UP's next election on the horizon, the gap between scheme launches and verifiable job creation will be the real battleground — and the opposition, for all its alleged failures, has not yet been given a credible accounting to rebut.
NationPress
31 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Skill Training and Employment Area Development Scheme?
It is a new skill-training initiative launched by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 31 October, on the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. The scheme aims to connect all 75 districts of UP to nine skill-training and employment zones over three years, with centres offering language training, placement cells, and hostel facilities.
Which cities will get skill centres in the first phase?
In the first phase, major skill and employment centres are being developed in Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Jhansi. The remaining districts will be covered progressively over a three-year period.
What employment claims did Yogi Adityanath make?
Adityanath stated that over the last nine-and-a-half years, more than 9.5 lakh young people received direct government jobs in UP, while over 3.25 crore people found employment through the One District, One Product (ODOP) initiative. These figures have not been independently verified.
Why did Adityanath attack Congress and SP at the launch event?
He alleged that Congress and SP leaders had historically viewed Uttar Pradesh's large young population as a 'burden' rather than an asset, and had failed to channel the state's demographic strength into productive employment. He contrasted this with the BJP government's approach of linking scale with skill development.
How does the new scheme address overseas employment?
The scheme includes training in both Indian and foreign languages at each centre, with dedicated placement cells specifically designed to tap into overseas employment opportunities — a feature that sets it apart from conventional domestic skill-training programmes.
