Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday exhorted the youth to explore alternative means of livelihood while moving beyond “Sarkari Naukari” mindset.
“One of the greatest contributions of this government is that there has been a conscious effort to change the “Sarkari Naukri” (government job) mindset and provide alternative means of livelihood. PM Narendra Modi said “StartUp India Stand up India” from the ramparts of Red Fort, launched StartUp policy when the concept hardly existed and today India ranks globally third with over 2,30,000 registered StartUps,” he said.
Dr Jitendra was addressing the National Sports Day 2026 celebrations, ‘Khelo India Samvad – Khel Ki Baat PM Ke Saath’ organised at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, bringing together young participants for a dialogue on youth leadership, fitness and nation-building.
Dr Jitendra, who is also the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences besides being MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said, during these twelve years, several youth-centric schemes like Mudra Yojana, SVANidhi Yojana, Vishwakarma Yojana etc were started to help youth earn livelihood without depending on anyone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Khelo India Dialogue through video conferencing, connecting with youth participating in the programme from different parts of the country. The nationwide initiative was organised by Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
Dr Jitendra highlighted the transformative changes witnessed by India over the past decade, particularly in opportunities created for the country’s youth. He said, today, India’s youth were making a mark globally.
Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister underscored the importance of harmonious development in the student age in shaping a healthy, disciplined and confident generation of young Indians.
He highlighted the transformative role of youth in nation-building and called upon young people to actively contribute to the vision of a developed India.
Dr Jitendra said that over the last ten years, several youth-centric initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have contributed to a wholesome development of different dimensions of India’s youth potential, including sports, entrepreneurship, innovation and education. He said the Prime Minister changed the country’s outlook towards the capabilities and aspirations of its youth.
Referring to India’s startup ecosystem, the Union Minister said that the concept of startups was once largely alien to the country’s development narrative, whereas India today has around 2.40 lakh recognised startups and ranks third globally. He expressed confidence that India would soon move further ahead in the global startup ecosystem.
Highlighting India’s growing contribution to global research and innovation, he said Indian researchers were increasingly making their presence felt internationally. He noted that around 10 percent of the world’s 100 most-cited references were associated with India, underlining the country’s growing research footprint.
On innovation and intellectual property, Dr Jitendra said that India has emerged as the sixth-largest patent-filing country globally, with around 1.30 lakh patents, of which approximately 55 percent are filed by resident Indians. He said that global relevance was currently closely linked with the ability to contribute to global knowledge, innovation and solutions. “To be relevant globally, we have to be relevant globally,” he said, emphasising that India’s youth already demonstrated their ability to make a mark on the world stage.
The Union Minister also highlighted the role of financial inclusion and entrepreneurship initiatives in empowering young Indians and women. Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, he said that loans of around Rs 10 lakh are available to aspiring entrepreneurs and nearly Rs 38 lakh Cr has been disbursed under the scheme, with around 60 per cent of the beneficiaries being women.
He said that the present period offered exceptional opportunities for India’s youth, as several government schemes and initiatives were designed to keep their aspirations and potential in mind. Calling upon the youth to make full use of these opportunities, Dr Jitendra said, “Now it is your role to play your part in realising the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Appreciating the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the Khelo India initiative emerged as a source of inspiration for the country’s youth.
Praising the role of IIM Jammu, Dr Jitendra noted that the institution made a distinct mark for itself within a decade of its establishment, reflecting the growing strength of India’s institutions and its young talent.
Member of Parliament Jammu, Jugal Kishore Sharma appreciated the contribution and achievements of IIM Jammu and lauded the initiative for bringing youth together around the themes of sports and nation-building. He said that sports have a significant role in shaping the personality of young people and in strengthening the spirit of discipline, teamwork and perseverance.
Sharma expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for providing young Indians with platforms to participate in the country’s development journey and said that sports would play an important role in realising the youth-led dream of Viksit Bharat.