Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the state government has created an ecosystem to provide youth opportunities in education, skills, entrepreneurship and industry, and urged them to become job creators and innovators rather than merely seek employment.
"The double-engine government has created a strong ecosystem" for young people to learn, pursue opportunities and undertake entrepreneurship, Adityanath said.
"Opportunities for youth to progress today are no longer limited to government jobs," he said, listing education, skill development, startups, MSMEs, industry, the digital economy, research and innovation among the avenues available to them.
Addressing the fifth foundation day ceremony of Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur (MGUG), the CM said UP has vast potential in its young population, agriculture, entrepreneurship and natural resources, and a strong foundation for transformation has been laid over the past nine years.
He said improved infrastructure and connectivity have created investment opportunities, while investment has expanded industry and employment.
Digital infrastructure, MSMEs, the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and the startup ecosystem have also created platforms for youth and local artisans.
The CM said education should not be limited to obtaining degrees but should equip students to understand real-world problems and develop solutions.
He called for linking classroom learning with the needs of society and industry and said the journey should progress from education to skills, capability, opportunity, innovation, entrepreneurship, employment and economic growth.
He also called for India's traditional knowledge to be connected with modern science and technology, particularly in Ayurveda, yoga, medicinal plants and traditional agriculture. "Ayurveda should be linked with modern diagnostics and clinical research, while medicinal plants should be connected with biotechnology and pharmaceutical research," he said.
Referring to MGUG's courses in traditional and modern medicine, nursing, pharmacy and agriculture, Adityanath said these disciplines should be treated as an integrated knowledge and innovation ecosystem rather than separate streams. "Their convergence," he said, "could generate new research, startups and employment."
He highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence-based diagnosis, telemedicine, digital health, medical devices, biotechnology and genomics in healthcare. In agriculture, he mentioned precision farming, drones, soil technology, smart irrigation, agri-processing and climate-resilient farming as areas where technology can improve productivity and incomes.
He also stressed research databases, quality testing, modern manufacturing and evidence-based validation of traditional treatments.
Calling Gorakhpur "a gateway to the potential of Uttar Pradesh", the CM said the city could emerge as a regional knowledge and economic hub for education, healthcare, agriculture and innovation.
He said university research should move beyond campuses and reach farmers, hospitals, industries and startups. Agricultural research should raise farm incomes, medical research should improve rural healthcare and pharmacy research should contribute to new medicines and healthcare innovation, he said.
Adityanath urged students to become "future-ready" and asked them to consider not only what they could do for themselves but also what they could contribute to society and the country.
He proposed a four-way partnership among the government, universities, industry and youth, with the government creating an ecosystem, universities generating relevant research, industry providing markets and opportunities, and youth driving innovation and enterprise.
"Universities should not become islands unto themselves," he said, stressing that they should address society's needs and help youth become job creators rather than job seekers.
Varsity Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Dr Bhupesh Kumar Goyal said the university had increased its courses from 12 to 53 within five years. PTI COR KIS NB
This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
