Job Trainee Scheme a “Joke” on Youth, Alleges Himachal BJP Chief Bindal

Download IPFS

The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, Rajiv Bindal, has sharply criticized the state’s Congress-led government, labeling its recently introduced “job trainee” scheme as a “joke” and a betrayal of the youth. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, July 20, 2025, Bindal accused the ruling party of reneging on its pre-election promise of providing regular government employment and instead devising a new trap to “dupe” the unemployed.

The controversy centers on a new government notification that outlines a scheme to engage candidates as “job trainees” in Group A, B, and C cadres for a period of two years. During this trainee period, individuals will receive a fixed stipend, rather than a regular salary. Critically, their consideration for regular appointments will be contingent upon passing a qualifying examination or an efficiency test after the two-year training period.

Bindal recalled an old video of Congress Member of Parliament Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, where she, along with other prominent Congress leaders like Rajiv Shukla, Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, had repeatedly promised 100,000 regular jobs annually in Himachal Pradesh. He highlighted that the Congress government, in its very first cabinet meeting after assuming power, had pledged to fill 63,000 vacant posts and create 37,000 new ones.

“The Congress government had promised regular jobs, but instead, it has introduced this trainee scheme, which is just a ruse to defer jobs by at least a year,” Bindal stated. He further alleged that the current government has no concrete plan to tackle joblessness and is instead resorting to delaying tactics. Bindal also claimed that under the current administration, only “friends” and those with political connections are securing employment, leading to widespread disappointment among aspiring youth who prepare diligently for competitive exams.

The BJP chief lamented that many youths prepare for exams only to find them canceled or their results withheld, adding to their frustration. He reminded the public that this is the same government that previously closed institutions providing jobs and, through a single notification, allegedly abolished 150,000 posts in the state, thereby curtailing employment opportunities.

Bindal asserted that the new “job trainee” policy is a “cruel joke” on the youth, as it abolishes the previous contract-based appointment process and offers no clear path to regularization, nor benefits like Him Care and Ayushman Bharat. He questioned the government’s ability to conduct timely assessments for regularization if it has struggled to fill existing vacancies. The BJP has pledged to strongly oppose this policy in the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly, advocating for the rights of the state’s unemployed youth.