Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday felicitated 11 youths trained under the state skill development department for ‘outstanding achievements in employment and entrepreneurship’.Among those honoured was Rajrani, who is currently employed in Haryana and earns Rs 27,000 per month. She said the income has helped her manage her family responsibilities after her father’s death and support her mother’s cancer treatment. “Today, with my earnings, I am not only bearing the cost of my mother’s treatment but also taking responsibility for my entire family,” she said.Krishna Kumar Sahu, trained through an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), is now employed with Northern Coalfields Limited, a Coal India subsidiary, at a salary of nearly Rs 1 lakh per month. He said access to training improved after a centre opened closer to his village. “Earlier, the nearest ITI was about 35 kilometres away from my area, but now, with a training centre opened locally, rural youths have received great convenience,” he said.Bhavana Dubey, trained in fashion designing, said the programme enabled her financial independence and that she now earns Rs 70,000 per month. “The ITIs have made several women like me self-reliant,” she said.Gyan Prakash Verma said his ITI exposure helped him start a healthcare startup in Lucknow focused on women’s empowerment and women’s health, developing solutions based on artificial intelligence. Shubhra Mishra, who received advanced-level training, said she is running her own venture, earning around Rs 5 lakh and providing jobs to others. “Yogi govt’s schemes inspired her to move forward,” she said.Sheetal Kumari, another awardee, said she is working at Medanta and earns Rs 23,000 per month, calling the honour from the chief minister the most memorable moment of her life. Sangeeta Verma said she received ITI training in Noida and is now running her own business.BoxKaushal Setu launchedDuring the event, vocational education and skill development minister Kapil Dev Agarwal launched Kaushal Setu, a digital portal to make registration and empanelment of training partners online, paperless and transparent. He also launched Kaushal Sarathi, a platform offering district-wise information on training centres, courses and partners through an interactive digital map.
