Bengaluru

Prasanna Kumar, a resident of Davanagere in central Karnataka who completed his Commerce degree eight months ago and is still searching for a job, receives a ₹3,000 allowance as a beneficiary under the Yuva Nidhi scheme for the last four months. “While the money I am receiving may not be enough to sustain me for a month, it covers my travel expenses to Bengaluru, allowing me to attend job interviews at least twice a month,” he told The Hindu.

Launched on January 12, the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda, by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka government’s Yuva Nidhi scheme is the fifth poll guarantee of the Congress for educated unemployed youth in the state.

Mr. Kumar’s is a lower middle class family. His parents run a grocery shop in Davanagere. He helps them at the shop, as he has been unable to find a suitable job.

“With this money at least my parents are no longer burdened with additional expenses on my account while I am unemployed. I am committed to securing a job this month. So far, I have attended five interviews. I was offered a position in one of them, but the salary was only ₹12,000, and the job was in Bengaluru, which made it impractical for me to accept given the living expenses in a city.”

Since the scheme was introduced until end of July, 1,20,604 beneficiaries had registered across Karnataka.

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Insufficient allowance

While the scheme provides some benefits to unemployed youths, the allowance has proven insufficient for many, according to beneficiaries, particularly those from poor families. Degree holders receive ₹3,000 per month, while diploma holders receive ₹1,500.

Nithin K.S., a Bengaluru-based beneficiary raised by a single-parent low income family, said his mother was a street-vendor selling fruits. He finds the allowance insufficient to enhance his skills to enable better job prospects.

“I have completed a BA in History, Economics, and Political Science, but when I started looking for a job, I learnt that my arts degree alone holds little value. To improve my prospects, I decided to enroll in skills development courses and spoken English classes, but the allowance is not enough to cover these expenses. The course costs ₹10,000 per month for three months.”

Mr. Nithin also noted that while the Yuva Nidhi scheme initially promised skill development component, that part has not yet been implemented. “If the government were to make skill development courses and other educational programmes free of cost under this scheme, it would be greatly beneficial to us,” he added.

Student associations say that while the initiative is commendable, the amount provided may not serve its intended purpose effectively. Speaking to The Hindu, Lekha Adavi, State Convenor of the All India Students Association (AISA), said, “Given the current inflation rates, the amount provided is insufficient for anyone to sustain themselves. There needs to be a logical basis for the amount fixed.”

She also believes the government should prioritise the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Urban Employment Guarantee Act, ensuring their effective implementation to support unemployed individuals in a sustainable and structural manner.

On skill development, Ms. Adavi suggested that the State government focus on integrating skill development courses into the State Education Policy, emphasising their importance during students’ studies rather than offering them after graduation. “The government should also focus on creating jobs and filling permanent vacancies in government positions, rather than offering contractual roles,” she added, emphasising the importance of systemic remedies.

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1.2 lakh beneficiaries

As of July, approximately ₹38.55 crore has been disbursed to 1,20,604 beneficiaries of the Yuva Nidhi scheme, according to data obtained by The Hindu. The allowance will be available till the applicant gets a job, or for a maximum of two years. Applications can be submitted at Karnataka One, Grama One, Bapuji Seva Kendra or Seva Sindhu portals. An applicant must possess Aadhaar card, bank passbook, ration card, mark sheets of SSLC, PUC, degree or diploma.

According to Karnataka Skill Development Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, financial assistance is provided six months after an unemployed candidate completes their degree. On including skill development courses as part of the scheme, he assured a review of the scheme to include more benefits.

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North Karnataka leads in beneficiaries

In Karnataka, all districts are distributing the allowance, with the highest number of beneficiaries located in North Karnataka. Belagavi leads the Yuva Nidhi scheme with 14,717 registered beneficiaries out of a total of 1,63,264. Bengaluru Urban follows with 11,638 beneficiaries, Kalaburagi has 11,528, Raichur has 10,512, and Vijayapura rounds out the top five with 7,965 beneficiaries. Except for Bengaluru Urban, all top five districts are from North Karnataka, a region that lags behind in developmental indicators. The five districts with the lowest beneficiaries are Kodagu, Ramanagara, Udupi, Chamarajanagar, and Bengaluru Rural, all situated in Coastal and South Karnataka region.

The government’s data shows OBC category has having the highest number of beneficiaries of 77,550 people. 20,485 beneficiaries were Dalits, while 8,435 were Adivasis. 14,134 beneficiaries were from the general category.