With the Maharashtra Assembly election drawing nearer, the government led by Eknath Shinde has launched an internship scheme aimed at unemployed youth. Inspired by the 'Majhi Ladki Bahini Yojana', this initiative will involve an expenditure of Rs 5,500 crore to fund the internship program.
With the Maharashtra Assembly election drawing nearer, the government led by Eknath Shinde has launched an internship scheme aimed at unemployed youth. Inspired by the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahini Yojana’, this initiative will involve an expenditure of Rs 5,500 crore to fund the internship program.
Eknath Shinde highlighted the scheme during a public event in Pandharpur, emphasizing its role in empowering and financially supporting young women, similar to the Ladki Bahini Yojana introduced in the state budget.
“Many people asked, you made efforts for ladki bahini, what about ladka bhau (dear brother)? So, we have now done it for ladka bhau as well,” he said.
“Under this scheme, Rs 6,000 will be given to those who passed Class 12, Rs 8,000 for those with ITI and diploma, and Rs 12,000 per month for those with a graduate degree,” Shinde added.
While the Chief Minister referred to ‘ladka bhau’ in his speech, it’s important to note that the internship scheme, known as the Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana, is not limited exclusively to men.
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Interestingly, last month, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray supported the Maharashtra government’s move to implement the “Ladki Bahini” scheme and called for a comparable policy to be introduced for men as well.
“As the government plans to introduce various welfare schemes, one of which is the Ladli Behna scheme like in Madhya Pradesh, I welcome it and ask that this scheme be extended to boys too. Why discriminate? Both girls and boys should benefit from this,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
Announced in the Budget 2024-25 by state Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, this scheme aims to improve the employability and skills of youth, preparing them for a competitive job market.
The Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, in collaboration with the Mukhyamantri Jan Kalyan Kaksh (Chief Minister’s Welfare Cell), is the implementing agency for the scheme. A resolution outlining the scheme specifies that eligible candidates must be residents of Maharashtra and aged between 18 and 35 years.
The internships will span six months, and candidates will receive their monthly stipend through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Employers must meet specific eligibility criteria, including operating within Maharashtra, registration on the Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation web portal as an employer, having been established for at least three years, registration with EPF, ESIC, GST, DPIT, and Udyog Aadhaar, as well as possessing a certificate of incorporation.
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