DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced that his government will soon introduce a new scholarship scheme for Scheduled Caste (SC) students, who had been backstabbed by the central government, which had abruptly ended the post- matric scholarship scheme for them. The Chief Minister said the new scheme would give an opportunity to students of weaker sections to pursue higher learning in various streams, which they had been deprived of due to withdrawal of the scholarship scheme by the Government of India. He said the state government was in the process of recasting this scheme with the aim of ensuring that no SC student is deprived of higher education. The Chief Minister also reiterated his government's resolve to recruit 1 lakh youth in government jobs over next one and half year, of which 50,000 will be recruited till March, 2021, and another 50,000 by the end of its term. He was addressing a virtual programme on the culmination of the 6th State Level Mega Rozgar Mela from Patiala, along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whom the Chief Minister thanked for his vision to include the state government's flagship programme for employment generation - 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar and Karobar' - in the party's manifesto during the 2017 Assembly elections. Captain Amarinder noted with satisfaction that his government had, in the past 3.5 years, successfully created job opportunities for 13.42 lakh youth through placement and self-employment assistance under the scheme. Of these, 50,000 government and 4.04 lakh private jobs had been given to the youth, besides facilitating nearly 8.80 lakh youth in taking up self- employment ventures, he said. The Chief Minister apprised Rahul Gandhi that eminent multinational corporates like Microsoft, and other private companies of India, including Trident, Guru Gobind Singh Refinery (HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd.), Bathinda, had played a pivotal role in offering remunerative jobs to Punjab's youth. Complementing the visionary leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh in facilitating gainful employment for youth through this unique scheme, Rahul said it was the duty of any government to provide job opportunities for youngsters. Terming youth as assets, he said employment opportunities for them could transform their destinies and lead to the nation's development, and failure to do so would end in tragedy. (editor@dailyworld.in)