Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said unemployment cannot be addressed through government jobs alone, calling for stronger industry-academia collaboration and greater private sector participation while addressing the 77th State-Level Mega Job Fair in Srinagar.
Organised by Desh Bhagat University, Punjab, and Cluster University Srinagar in collaboration with NIELIT, Nations Development Association (NDA) and MY Bharat, the Mega Job Fair aimed to directly connect youth with industries. The fair brought together more than 50 reputed companies across diverse sectors including information technology, healthcare, banking, financial services, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, education, logistics, and engineering.
The Lieutenant Governor described the job fair as a powerful means of connecting the aspirations of the youth with opportunities and an important step towards building the nation’s bright future.
“You are not merely job-seekers. You are the makers of India’s future. In your hands rests your career as well as the direction of the nation’s development. You are the strength of Skill India, the face of Digital India, and the true bearers of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” the Lieutenant Governor told the aspirants.
The Lieutenant Governor also outlined six key objectives of the Mega Job Fair. He said the fair will ensure meaningful employment for youth to become self-reliant and contribute to society. It will also pave the way for Industry-academia partnerships to bridge the gap between degrees and workplace skills. The Lieutenant Governor said that the Job Fair will ensure that skill development programmes are aligned with digital literacy and technical capabilities, and a roadmap will be created for simplified recruitment through on-the-spot interviews and direct hiring. He said the Job Fair will also ensure entrepreneurship promotion to encourage job creators alongside job seekers, and it will prepare a future-ready workforce to strengthen India’s development journey.
The Lieutenant Governor urged students to embrace three guiding principles- never make dreams small, never stop learning, and always embrace innovation.
The Lieutenant Governor stressed that colleges and universities must evolve into institutions that prepare students for life beyond examinations. He also called upon industry representatives to act as recruiters, mentors and partners in shaping the future workforce.
He further emphasised that unemployment cannot be solved through government jobs alone, as government vacancies are limited. Instead, he outlined three priorities: aligning skills with industry needs, promoting private sector job creation through MSMEs and SMEs, and bridging the transition from college to workplace through internships, mentorships, and career guidance.