Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath’s government of Uttar Pradesh has taken notice of the increasing number of student agitations against unemployment on the streets as well as on social media, and decided to fill up vacant government posts in the state at the earliest.
The chief minister Friday asked officials from all departments to provide details of vacant posts, and issued directions to start the recruitment process in the next three months and hand over appointment letters within six months.
The official handle of the chief minister’s office tweeted: “CM Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji has instructed all departments to provide details about vacant posts. He has said that the selection process for three lakh posts, which has been on for three and a half years, should be completed within the next three months, and appointment letters should be distributed within the next six months.”
CM श्री @myogiadityanath जी ने सभी विभागों को रिक्त पदों का विवरण उपलब्ध कराने के निर्देश दिए हैं। उन्होंने कहा है कि बीते साढ़े तीन वर्ष में संपन्न 03 लाख पदों पर चयन प्रक्रिया के अनुरूप आगामी 03 माह में भर्ती प्रक्रिया संचालित करते हुए 06 माह में नियुक्ति पत्र वितरित किए जाएं।
— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) September 18, 2020
Giving strict instructions to the departments to provide information by Saturday, Yogi Adityanath has also called a meeting with the heads of all the commissions and recruitment boards of UP on 21 September to discuss this issue.
सभी विभागों में रिक्त पदों के सापेक्ष नियुक्ति प्रक्रिया को शीघ्र पूरा करने के लिए विभागों को रिक्तियों के आंकड़े कल तक उपलब्ध कराने के निर्देश दिए गए हैं।
चयन प्रक्रिया में शुचिता और पारदर्शिता हमारी नीति है और इसे प्रत्येक दशा में सुनिश्चित किया जाएगा।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) September 18, 2020
Also read: SBI report says rural economy is losing steam, flags rising unemployment and fall in wages
Students’ demonstrations
Sources in the UP government told ThePrint that the decision has been taken in view of the numerous student agitations and trending hashtags related to unemployment. The sources said the government wants to fill up all these vacancies before the 2022 UP elections, so that unemployment does not become a bigger issue during the elections.
The state has witnessed two state-wide demonstrations by students in the last 10 days. On 17 September, a large number of UP students observed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday as ‘berozgari diwas’ (unemployment day). In several districts, including Barabanki and Lucknow, students expressed their anguish by selling pakodas, while in districts like Prayagraj and Varanasi (the PM’s constituency), they put up posters.
In several places, the police used its batons to disperse student leaders of the Congress-affiliated NSUI and SP’s Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, and also detained some of them.
Eight days before, on 9 September, students appearing for competitive exams had organised a campaign ‘9 baje 9 minute’ (9 minutes at 9 o’clock) to demand employment. The slogan was repurposed from PM Modi’s call to shut down lights for nine minutes at 9 pm on 5 April to express a collective nationwide will to fight Covid-19. The students clapped and banged plates for nine minutes, and also lit lamps — just as the PM had asked people to do on different occasions during the lockdown.
Several districts saw scuffles between the police and students.
‘Youth have awakened CM from slumber’
Leaders from all opposition parties, including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, have been taking potshots at the government due to the rising unemployment.
जब जवान भी ख़िलाफ़, किसान भी ख़िलाफ
तब समझो दंभी सत्ता के दिन अब बचे हैं चार
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 17, 2020
Commenting on the Yogi Adityanath government’s decision to expedite the recruitment process, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said: “Ultimately the youth have managed to awaken (the CM) from his slumber by showcasing their capacity. It has now become crystal clear that the government was sitting idle on the future of these youth by keeping their jobs in suspension for the last three and a half years.
“Now CM Yogi should also tell us when the government is going to withdraw the recruitment process based on contractual appointments. The youth of UP want to know, and they deserve some answers. There has been speculation that all the recruitments in government jobs will on contractual basis for the first five years. The government should make its stand on this clear.”
Also read: India’s unemployment rate fell to 5.8% in 2018-19, experts say Covid shock will drive it up
Power of youth
To 3 saal se so rahe the? Inke bas ka nahi hai. Padha likha aadmi lao UP mein. Inhe bolo jaake mandir mein ghanta bajayein (shlok thodi na aatein honge ‘dhongi’ ko)