As many as 130 candidates received appointment letters during the 19th tranche of Rozgar Mela held at Railway Kalyana Mandapam, Thampanoor, in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Of them, 79 were recruited to the Indian Railways, 12 to the VSSC/ISRO, and 23 to institutions like IISER and CSIR–NIIST. Candidates also got appointment letters in Bank of Baroda, Airports Authority of India, Indian Air Force, Military Engineering Services, and the Indian Navy.

Addressing the candidates, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi, who attended the mela in Thiruvananthapuram as chief guest, said the initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2022 represents not just a massive recruitment drive, but a larger national vision aimed at transforming India’s youth power into national power. Every individual entering public service possesses the capability, aspiration, and commitment required to contribute towards building a developed India, he said.

Describing the appointment letter as the “starting line of a very sacred duty,” Mr. Gopi said that every role in public service, whether managing a railway station, crunching numbers at a bank, processing data for a space launch, or guarding the nation’s borders, is a brick in the foundation of a developed India. He urged the newly appointed candidates to dedicate their energy towards nation-building with dedication, integrity, and passion, and called upon them to collectively realise the vision of “Viksit Bharat”.

As part of the national event, the Prime Minister virtually distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters across the country through video conferencing, a live telecast of which was screened at the venue. In his address, Mr. Modi said that India’s youth are playing a vital role in accelerating the journey towards a Viksit Bharat. He noted that the world is increasingly looking towards India because of its young demographic profile and technological progress, creating new opportunities across sectors such as manufacturing, technology, railways, defence, space, clean energy, and digital services. Emphasising that public service is a powerful means of nation-building, the Prime Minister urged the newly recruited youth to serve citizens with commitment and contribute actively towards the goal of a developed India by 2047.

Delivering the welcome address, Divyakant Chandrakar, divisional railway manager, Thiruvananthapuram division, Southern Railway, said that it was a matter of pride for the division to host the 19th mela. Recalling that the first mela in Thiruvananthapuram was organised at the same venue four years ago, he noted that around 12 lakh youth have since entered public service through the initiative. Referring to the spirit of “Nagrik Devo Bhava,” he urged the new recruits to serve citizens with honesty, dedication, and empathy, and to contribute through their work towards the vision of a stronger and developed India.

Y. Selvin, additional divisional railway manager; Rahul Anil, senior divisional personnel officer, and other branch officers of Thiruvananthapuram division attended the function. The 19th edition of the mela was conducted simultaneously at 47 locations across the country.