The Madhya Pradesh government's decision to refer to unemployed youths as "Aakanshi Yuva" (aspirational youths) has sparked controversy, with the opposition Congress accusing the ruling party of trivialising the struggles of jobless individuals.
The term appeared on the state’s Rojgar Portal, which listed over 29.37 lakh unemployed youths in Madhya Pradesh under this new label.
Minister of State for Technical Education and Skill Development Gautam Tentwal explained that the reasoning behind using "Aakanshi Yuva" was to highlight that all individuals, whether employed or not, have aspirations.
He stated that those in government or private sector jobs aim for better positions, while unemployed youths register with employment offices in pursuit of work. Defending the move, BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi emphasised that the Madhya Pradesh government is focused on creating employment opportunities through self-employment and skill development initiatives.
He pointed to the recent Global Investors Summit as a major step in this direction, stating that such efforts would generate more employment avenues.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reiterated that government jobs alone cannot eliminate unemployment. A government release further supported this stance, highlighting that in a country like India, with a population of 1.45 billion, government jobs constitute only a small fraction of employment opportunities.
Even the largest employer in the country, the Armed Forces, has only 1.35 million personnel. The release stated that the government aims to connect unemployed youth with self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
It officially declared that from now on, unemployed individuals in Madhya Pradesh would be referred to as "Aakanshi Yuva." Mohan Yadav also announced that investment proposals worth over ₹30 lakh crore had been secured through the Global Investors Summit and Regional Industry Conclaves.
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According to him, these investments are expected to generate employment for 21 lakh youths. He added that apart from traditional employment, young people would also be encouraged to engage in agriculture, animal husbandry, and skill-based enterprises.
Despite the government’s justification, the Congress party strongly criticised the move. Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar, took to social media to express his disapproval, calling the term an insult to educated yet unemployed individuals.
He accused the state government of failing to fulfill its promises of employment and instead attempting to mask its shortcomings with rebranding. Singhar pointed out that recruitment for key government positions, including sub-inspectors, subedars, accountants, and sub-auditors, had been pending for eight years.
He accused the government of neglecting the youth’s employment concerns while engaging in superficial name changes. Singhar also compared this renaming strategy to the government’s handling of the Vyapam controversy, referring to the alleged scam involving admissions and government job recruitments.
He noted that while the institution was renamed the MP Employees Selection Board, meaningful steps were not taken to reduce the state’s unemployment rate. He described such actions as mere distractions and urged the government to take concrete measures to address the job crisis in Madhya Pradesh.
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