NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said more opportunities for employment and self-employment were being created in a rapidly growing India that is taking huge strides in the infrastructure and allied sectors.

Addressing a Rozgar Mela via video conferencing, he also said that his government had effected broad changes in the recruitment process by making it more streamlined and time-bound while boosting transparency and speed.

He distributed electronically 71,426 appointment letters to recruits in different government departments, and said the ongoing ‘Rozgar Mela' exercises have become an identity of his government.

Modi said several states where the BJP and its allies were in power have been organising employment drives.

"India is witnessing change. In a rapidly growing India, opportunities for employment and self-employment are being created continuously. When the country witnesses massive growth, innumerable opportunities of self-employment are generated. India is witnessing this today," Modi said.

He said extensive development of infrastructure over the past eight years has created lakhs of opportunities in the self-employment sector.

"You are aware that whenever a new road is constructed, it also lays down that path for self-employment in its vicinity. New markets spring up, a range of shops are opened. The new road also makes it easier for farmers to take their produce to the markets," the prime minister said.

"Similarly, any place is connected with new railway lines, the markets in the region prosper, tourism also expands with new means of transportation. Opportunities for employment are present in such expansion," the prime minister said.

Addressing the recruits, he asked them to resolve to serve people and said the mantra in the administrative system should be that the citizen is always right like it is noted in business that the consumer is always right.

That is why employment in the government sector is called "government service" and not jobs, he said.

The prime minister noted that a large number of recruits are from families where no one was in government service. A transparent and clear recruitment process awards people's merit and competence, he said.

The prime minister said new opportunities for employment are created when a village is connected under the BharatNet project of providing broadband connectivity in every village.

"Even those who are not too tech savvy understand its benefits. This has opened a new area of entrepreneurship by providing online services in villages," Modi said.

Modi said the flourishing startup scene in tier 2 and tier 3 cities has created a new identity for the youth in the world.

The PMO had earlier said the ‘Rozgar Mela' is a step towards fulfilment of Modi's commitment to accord highest priority to employment generation.

The ‘Rozgar Mela' is expected to act as a catalyst in further employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities to the youth for their empowerment and participation in national development, it added.

The new recruits, selected from across the country, will join various positions under the central government like junior engineers, loco pilots, technicians, inspector, sub inspectors, constable, stenographer, junior accountant, grameen dak sevak, Income Tax inspectors, teachers, nurses, doctors, social security officers among others.

The experience of newly inducted officials in learning from the ‘Karmayogi Prarambh' module was also shared during the programme as Modi interacted with some of them.

The module is an online orientation course for all new appointees in various government departments.

In June last year, the prime minister had directed various ministries and departments to fill up 10 lakh government vacancies in mission mode by December 2023.

Friday's Rozgar Mela was the third edition of the initiative that was launched on October 22, 2022 when the prime minister handed out appointment letters to 75,000 people. On November 22, 2022 more than 71,000 job aspirants were handed over appointment letters of government jobs.

The prime minister has handed over appointment letters to more than 2.17 lakh persons under the Rozgar Mela so far.