Unemployed Youth Federation protests govt policies in Mandi

The Unemployed Youth Federation of Mandi district staged a protest here on Monday against the state government’s policies, demanding several changes to address the rising unemployment in the state.

Federation district convenor Vishal said the protesters, through the rally, voiced their concerns and put forward a list of demands.

The federation urged the state government to discontinue the Guest Teacher Policy and outsourced recruitment, and to ensure the smooth functioning of the Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission.

The protesters also demanded that offline exams be held for candidates who filled out forms in 2022 until online exams were implemented.

Additionally, they called for strict action in the paper leak case and the filling of vacant posts in government departments as soon as possible.

The federation noted that the government, in its 2022 election manifesto, promised to provide 5 lakh government jobs — a pledge that, according to the body, had not been fulfilled yet.

They also highlighted the government’s failure to deliver on the promise of permanent jobs until the age of 58, and expressed concern over the introduction of new policies that were reportedly worsening unemployment in the state.

“According to recent reports, more than 9 lakh youngsters in the state are unemployed, with the state holding the highest unemployment rate in the country, especially among the educated youth,” Vishal said.

The protesters warned that if the government does not meet their demands, they will escalate the protest to a state-level movement and stage demonstrations targeting the Congress MLAs, ministers and the Chief Minister.