Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath Announces New Youth Policy On Independence Day, Focuses On Skill, Innovation And Employment | VIDEO

Lucknow, August 15, 2026: Congratulating the people of the state on the 80th Independence Day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a new ‘Youth Policy’ for the youth of Uttar Pradesh. At the state-level Independence Day celebration organised at Vidhan Bhavan, the Chief Minister said that after historic improvement in law and order, Uttar Pradesh has now transformed from ‘Upadrav Pradesh’ to ‘Utsav Pradesh’. Uttar Pradesh, once counted among the BIMARU states, is today playing the role of the ‘growth engine’ of the country's economy. By ending policy paralysis, the state has been established as a ‘dream destination’ for investment.

The Chief Minister said, "Today, I am extremely pleased to announce that through the ‘Youth Policy’, we will succeed in further strengthening the skill, innovation and employment of the youth of the state through an integrated approach. The government's resolve is to put skill, innovation and employment in the hands of every youth. The resolve to make proper use of the capabilities and potential of the youth will be given further momentum."

He stated, "Today, our sisters and daughters can go to the market at any time, go alone for their studies, return home from work and fulfil their dreams. Over the past 9 years, along with ensuring due respect for women's power, they have also been given freedom from insecurity."

Youth Policy And New-Age Skills

The Chief Minister added, "We are building a Uttar Pradesh where there is heritage as well as the technology of the future. Where the pride of culture and the pace of modernity will move together, the roots of tradition will remain strong, and the wings of development will be seen touching the sky."

He described youth power as Uttar Pradesh's greatest strength and said, "The state's youth are talented, hardworking and full of the determination to achieve something for the country and society. The strength of Uttar Pradesh lies in the talent of its youth. The government has taken strict action against the cheating mafia and recruitment mafia, and the state's demographic dividend is being transformed into a ‘development engine’. For Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha, work has been rapidly advanced in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, semiconductors, startup ecosystem, data centres, defence manufacturing, cyber, robotics, electric vehicles, agritech, fintech, deep tech and med tech. This is opening new avenues for investment, innovation and employment."

He further added, through the CM Yuva Udyami Yojana, interest-free and collateral-free loans are being provided to youth for self-employment. Sports colleges are being developed at every divisional headquarters, stadiums in every district, mini stadiums in every block, and playgrounds and open gyms in every village. The Chief Minister said that today the youth of Uttar Pradesh have become free from the problem of migration.

Tributes To Freedom Fighters

He further informed, "Today's sacred occasion is an opportunity to remember and pay tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, the practitioner of truth and non-violence, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's Constitution Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, India's first President and Chairman of the Constituent Assembly Dr Rajendra Prasad, and all those great freedom fighters, revolutionaries and brave soldiers. These great personalities sacrificed everything for the country's independence and, while providing a secure environment to independent India, continuously fulfilled their responsibilities towards building ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’."

The Chief Minister said the freedom struggle cannot be considered complete without Uttar Pradesh. From Mangal Pandey to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Veerangana Avanti Bai Lodhi, Jhalkari Bai Kori and Veerangana Uda Devi Pasi, there is a long chain of those who sacrificed everything for the country's independence. Great revolutionaries and freedom fighters such as Chandrashekhar Azad, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh and Tatya Tope carried the call for independence across every district from east to west on the soil of Uttar Pradesh in the form of the First War of Independence. The culmination of their struggle and sacrifice came before all of us in the form of India's independence on August 15, 1947.

He further added, "Brave Inspector Shaheed Sunil Kumar of the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police was a brave son of Bharat Mata. In an encounter with notorious criminals in Shamli, he killed four dreaded criminals, but after being seriously injured in a face-to-face encounter, he ultimately attained martyrdom. He was honoured with the Kirti Chakra for his indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice." The Chief Minister respectfully saluted martyr Sunil Kumar and paid a humble tribute to him.

Uttar Pradesh On Growth Path

He said, "In 1947, our ancestors and great freedom fighters secured independence for the country from British rule, but the country also had to pay the price of this independence in the form of the tragedy of Partition. We attained independence, but along with it we also inherited problems such as illiteracy, inequality, anarchy, insecurity, poverty, backwardness, migration, casteism, untouchability, discrimination and appeasement."

CM added by saying, over the past 9 years, Uttar Pradesh has taken several important steps under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to eliminate these inequalities, backwardness, poverty and illiteracy. Uttar Pradesh cannot stop with a changing India. Uttar Pradesh also included itself in this transformation, and today the results are before all of us.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, "Today, when India stands before the world with new strength, new energy and new confidence, Uttar Pradesh too has begun taking its journey to new heights through an excellent combination of heritage and development. From expressways to airports, from Digital India to Artificial Intelligence, from agriculture to industry, from youth power to startup power, and from defence manufacturing to deep tech, the state has begun setting new benchmarks of development."

He continues by saying that Uttar Pradesh is not merely changing today, but is also playing an important role in determining the direction of change within the country. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, the state is successfully moving towards new heights with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’.

Investment And Employment

CM Yogi said, "With historic improvement in law and order, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a model of good governance. Uttar Pradesh is no longer counted as a BIMARU state, but as the ‘growth engine’ of India's economy. Over the past 9 years, the state has succeeded in tripling its budget and economy. Per capita income has tripled, and the contribution of the women workforce has also tripled. Uttar Pradesh is no longer moving in the direction of ‘One District-One Mafia’, but is firmly advancing towards ‘One District-One Product’, ‘One District-One Medical College’, ‘One District-One Cuisine’, ‘One Division-One State University’, ‘One Division-One Atal Awasiya Vidyalaya’ and ‘One Division-One Forensic Lab’."

CM Yogi stated, "Today the state has 36 sectoral policies and a dedicated land bank of more than 75 thousand acres. A future-ready township is being developed over 56 thousand acres in Bundelkhand. The result of this model of good governance over the past nine years is that Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 50 lakh crore. Through these, job and employment opportunities have increased for more than 65 lakh youth in their own districts, regions and state."

He continues by saying, through a transparent and time-bound recruitment process, more than 9 lakh youth have received jobs in the government sector in nine years. More than four crore jobs and self-employment opportunities have been created in the state. The number of large industries has increased two-and-a-half times. Today, 96 lakh MSME units, more than 32 thousand large industries and more than 22 thousand startups are driving the state's economy.

Technology And Education Push

The Chief Minister said, "Uttar Pradesh is rapidly advancing in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, semiconductor, startups, data centres, defence manufacturing, cyber security, robotics, electric vehicles, agritech, fintech, deep tech and med tech. This is opening new avenues for investment, innovation and employment. Platforms are being provided to youth through Centres of Excellence and other institutions."

He further informed, through Operation Kayakalp, saturation of 19 basic facilities has been achieved in primary schools. CM Abhyudaya Vidyalayas, PM Shri Vidyalayas and CM Composite Vidyalayas have been developed as models. The school dropout rate in Uttar Pradesh has declined from 19 per cent to just 3 per cent. In the health sector, communicable diseases such as encephalitis have been completely eliminated. More than 10 crore beneficiaries linked to Ayushman Bharat in the state are receiving health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per year. With the sentiment that ‘a teacher is a warrior in the first line of nation-building’, the government has arranged cashless medical facilities for teachers, academic staff and their family members.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, "Over the past 9 years, efforts have been made to address the concerns of teachers, Shikshamitras, instructors and cooks by providing them the benefit of appropriate honorariums. When teachers are free from concerns about their health, they will contribute with greater energy towards brightening the future of youth power. Work has also been undertaken to free beneficiaries from middlemen by transferring benefits directly into their accounts through DBT."

Welfare And Antyodaya

He further added, over the past nine-and-a-half years, more than 65 lakh families have been provided one house each. Toilet facilities have been provided to the homes of more than three crore poor people. The work of providing free cooking gas connections to more than two crore poor families, free health facilities to more than 10 crore people and free foodgrains to 16 crore needy people is continuing.

The Chief Minister said, "Work to provide better facilities to tribal communities such as Vantangia, Musahar, Tharu, Chero, Kol, Sahariya and Buksa has also been rapidly advanced. To promote rural development and digital services in Uttar Pradesh, work has been undertaken to connect all more than 57,600 gram panchayats with Gram Sachivalayas. The state has succeeded in lifting 6 crore people out of multidimensional poverty. Ensuring that the rights of the person standing at the last end of society reach them is Antyodaya."

He further added, when a government moves towards achieving the goal of Antyodaya, this is the real meaning of freedom and complete freedom for the poor. Women and daughters of the state are becoming connected with economic activities through self-help groups. They are establishing enterprises and self-employment ventures while also becoming connected with the banking system. They are making agricultural activities easier through the use of technologies such as drones and giving a new dimension to Uttar Pradesh's economy. Through BC Sakhi, Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, milk producer companies and FPOs, the state's women power is becoming a partner in development.

Women Empowerment And Heritage

The Chief Minister said, "The ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ campaign has received new momentum through PM Matru Vandana Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and the Uttar Pradesh double-engine government's Kanya Sumangala Yojana. 5 phases of Mission Shakti have been successfully completed. Today, every police station in Uttar Pradesh has a Mission Shakti centre. Through these centres, the state government is ensuring the safety, dignity and self-reliance of sisters and daughters."

He informed, the state is preserving its rich religious, spiritual and cultural heritage while also linking it with employment for youth. Along with sacred pilgrimage sites such as Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Vindhyachal, Chitrakoot, Shukteerth, Sambhal, Bareilly and Naimisharanya, work to preserve the heritage associated with Lord Buddha at Kapilvastu, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti and Kaushambi is being advanced.

He stated, "Similarly, work is being undertaken to advance the heritage and honour associated with sites linked to Jain Tirthankaras as well as Sant Kabir Das, Sant Ravidas, Maharishi Valmiki and pioneers of social justice. Through the preservation and development of all these heritage sites, programmes to create new employment opportunities for youth in the state are also being advanced. In 2025, through all these efforts, more than 156 crore tourists visited Uttar Pradesh. The historic and ancient Ajaygarh Kalinjar Fort, located on a hill in the Vindhya mountain range in Banda district, was part of the tableau on this year's Republic Day."

He continues by saying, Sarnath has recently been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the people of the state, using the strength of its youth, completed the task of planting more than 35 crore saplings in a single day. Through the ‘Ek Janpad-Ek Nadi’ scheme, work is being undertaken to revive endangered and dried-up small rivers. All municipal corporations in the state, including Ayodhya, are being developed as solar cities.

Vision For Viksit Bharat

He said, "May there be prosperity in the fields of every Annadata farmer, may every daughter's dreams take flight, may the light of development reach every village and may every citizen live with dignity. This is the resolve of the state's double-engine government. Our freedom fighters gave us independence, and now it is the responsibility of our generation to take India to new heights of prosperity, capability and self-respect. Independence was inherited by us, but building a Viksit Bharat is the collective responsibility of all of us."

He further added, the dream of a Viksit Bharat will be realised only when all of us collectively discharge our duties for a Viksit Uttar Pradesh. When a state with a population of 25 crore is seen moving together, with one voice, towards this goal, this will be our contribution and true tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of freedom fighters and brave soldiers.

CM Yogi said that 17 municipal corporations and 18 cities, including Gautam Buddh Nagar, have been connected with the Safe City project. Women's participation in startups has reached 50 per cent. Their representation in panchayats has increased and women's participation in the police force has also been strengthened.

He said that our goal is to provide half the population with participation in every sphere of society, and the state is continuously moving forward in this direction.

Farmers And Agricultural Growth

The Chief Minister said, "Respect for the farmer is respect for India's food. Today, farmers are receiving the benefits of schemes directly in their bank accounts. Agriculture is being linked with the market through better irrigation facilities, fair prices and timely payment for sugarcane, seeds and fertilisers, new technology, and storage and processing facilities. Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, payments have been made into the bank accounts of more than three crore farmers."

He said, "Over the past 9 years, Annadata farmers have been freed from problems such as exploitation by middlemen, lack of opportunities, shortage of irrigation and sugarcane farmers' payments pending for decades. Immediate assistance is being provided to affected farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and Mukhyamantri Krishak Kalyan Yojana. In the state, 24 lakh hectares of land have been brought under additional irrigation facilities."

CM stated, free electricity facilities have been provided to 16 lakh Annadata farmers operating private tubewells. As a result, Uttar Pradesh's agricultural growth rate has increased from 8 per cent to 18 per cent in nine years. This is not merely a change in figures, but also a result of the state's increased confidence.

The Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Kunwar Manvendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal, public representatives, senior officers of the Army, administration and police, and family members of martyrs' families, among others, were present at the ceremony.