Belagavi, Bengaluru Urban drive Yuva Nidhi scheme's demand

Congress govt's flagship scheme has received 26,626 applications

The Congress government’s flagship Yuva Nidhi scheme of unemployment allowance has received 26,626 applications as of Wednesday, with eight districts accounting for nearly half of the rush to claim the benefit. 

Belagavi tops the list with 2,921 applications, followed by Bengaluru Urban (2,282) and Bagalkot (1,442), according to government data accessed by DH. Apart from these three districts, the number of applications for Yuva Nidhi has crossed 1,000 in Raichur, Vijayapura, Tumakuru, Shivamogga and Dharwad. 

Under the Yuva Nidhi, which is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s pet scheme, unemployed graduates and diploma-holders will get Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,500 per month, respectively, for two years. The scheme underlines the Congress’ attack against the BJP over joblessness in the country.

First payout on Jan 12

The government opened applications for Yuva Nidhi on December 26. The first payout will be made at a public event in Shivamogga on January 12.

Kodagu has the lowest number of Yuva Nidhi applicants at 64, followed by the backward Chamarajanagar district (106) and the coastal Udupi (116). 

Going by data, the application numbers are yet to pick up pace in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home district of Mysuru (448). In Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s Ramanagara, only 207 applications have been received.

Minister for Skill Development Dr Sharan Prakash Patil said the application numbers will pick up in due course. “Students studying various courses would have graduated on different dates. They’ll become eligible only after six months. That’s why it’s going slow. But it’ll pick up,” he told DH. 

A total of 5.29 lakh graduates and diploma-holders who passed out in the 2022-23 academic year are eligible under Yuva Nidhi. They must be jobless for 180 days after graduation to receive the unemployment allowance. The scheme is estimated to cost about Rs 250 crore in the current fiscal, Rs 1,250 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 2,500 crore in 2025-26. 

Not eligible

Those employed in government or private service, self-employed, pursuing higher education and non-residents of Karnataka are ineligible under Yuva Nidhi. 

Beneficiaries of the unemployment allowance have to declare their job status before the 25th of every month, the government has said. Also, applicants are eligible to apply for the scheme within two years from the date of result or graduation. However, the applicant will receive the benefit only for two years from the date of the result, irrespective of the date of application for the scheme.