Hiccups in ‘Yuva Nidhi’ guarantee scheme — Thousands miss out on benefits in initial phase

Team Udayavani, Jul 23, 2024, 9:45 AM IST

The ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme, one of the state government’s guarantee schemes, is facing initial setbacks. Only a few ‘thousands’ of the registered ‘lakh’ beneficiaries are currently receiving funds.

Recently, the state government issued a new order mandating that beneficiaries submit a self-declaration certificate to the district employment officer by the 25th of every month, stating they are unemployed, not pursuing further studies, and not self-employed. However, many beneficiaries forget to submit the self-declaration or submit it late, resulting in the non-crediting of funds to their accounts, according to officials.

57,208 Beneficiaries Missed Out in June

In June, 13,784 applications were rejected during verification at universities across the state, 117 applications were rejected due to IT-GST payments, and 186 applications were rejected for other reasons. Notably, 43,121 individuals did not submit the monthly self-declaration certificate. Consequently, a total of 57,208 beneficiaries were not considered under the scheme in June.

Belagavi Leads in Registrations

Belagavi district has the highest number of beneficiaries registered under the Yuva Nidhi scheme, with 14,783 registrations. Bengaluru Urban has 11,670, Kalaburagi has 11,667, and Raichur has 10,534 registrations. Kodagu district has the least with 1,151 registrations.

Three Months’ Payments Pending in Udupi

In Dakshina Kannada district, 3,928 people and in Udupi district, 2,580 people have registered. Dakshina Kannada ranks 20th, and Udupi ranks 27th in the state.

In Dakshina Kannada, 2,027 beneficiaries received ₹60,39,000 in March, 277 beneficiaries received ₹8,11,500 in April, and 602 beneficiaries received ₹17,65,500 in May.

In Udupi, ₹86,11,500 was paid to 1,406 beneficiaries up to March. The pending amounts for three months in Udupi will be released gradually, according to officials.

Eligibility for ‘Yuva Nidhi’

Graduates, postgraduates, and diploma holders who graduated in 2023 and have already registered on the Seva Sindhu portal, and who have been unemployed for 180 days after graduation, are eligible for Yuva Nidhi.

The lack of district-wise login makes it difficult for district officials to track the status of applications.

₹68.52 Crore Credited

As of July 18, 1,63,816 individuals have registered for ‘Yuva Nidhi’ across the state. However, the number of beneficiaries receiving the scheme’s benefits is in the thousands.

In March, ₹4,77,88,500 was credited to 16,051 beneficiaries. In April, ₹11,24,17,500 was credited to 37,573 beneficiaries. In May, ₹9,76,71,000 was credited to 32,664 beneficiaries. In June, ₹26,83,68,000 was credited to 89,981 beneficiaries through DBT. From January to June, a total of ₹68,52,49,500 was credited to 2,29,676 beneficiaries through DBT in the state.

“The government aims to provide appropriate skill training to Yuva Nidhi beneficiaries to prepare them for employment, thereby reducing unemployment rates,” said Pradeep D’Souza, Dakshina Kannada District Skill Development Officer.

“Compared to other districts in the state, the coastal districts have fewer Yuva Nidhi beneficiaries. Graduates and diploma holders often find employment or pursue higher education. Even if some do not find jobs, they do not wish to become beneficiaries of the scheme,” said Y.M. Badiger, Dakshina Kannada District Employment Officer.