Last week, the govt faced huge protests in Dharwad from job aspirants over delays in filling vacancies, which had turned violent. Siddaramaiah himself has repeatedly criticised the Centre over rising unemployment in the country and questioned BJP over what he has described as “unfulfilled job promises”. In his opening remarks during his budget speech, Siddaramaiah said: “We are strengthening the administrative system by filling vacant posts in major departments. In line with our election manifesto, employment generation remains a priority…” The govt will fill 56,432 posts during the 2026-27 fiscal across education, forests, home and health departments. The education sector will account for the largest share with 15,000 teachers set to hired. In addition, the govt will recruit 2,000 lecturers in colleges and another 1,000 faculty members in public universities. To expand employment opportunities for workers in the unorganised sector, the govt will introduce an online employment exchange called ‘Kayaka Bhagya’. The platform, which has been allocated Rs 5 crore, will connect workers with skill-based job opportunities. Siddaramaiah also said his govt would focus on creating “self-employment” opportunities for youth — by offering financial assistance schemes for unemployed youth to start small businesses. Under entrepreneurship development programmes run by various govt corporations, beneficiaries from SC, ST, minority and women categories will be eligible for subsidised financial assistance. Under these schemes, unemployed youth can get financial assistance up to 75% of the unit cost, with a maximum subsidy of Rs 4 lakh for STs and Rs 3 lakh for minorities. The support is intended for ventures such as fast food trucks, mobile kitchens, and food kiosks. A separate loan facility of up to Rs 5 lakh at 4% interest has also been proposed to help individuals establish ‘modern laundries’ as a self-employment option. Recognising employment opportunities for women trained in technical trades, Siddaramaiah also announced a waiver for women graduating from industrial training institutes. For students preparing for competitive exams and higher education, the govt will introduce ‘Vidhyarthi Indira Canteens’. An extension of Indira Canteens that provide affordable meals to urban poor, these canteens will cater specifically to students. Four such canteens will be opened in Dharwad and Bengaluru, two cities that attract a large number of students.
