GORAKHPUR, Aug 28: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday urged young people to move beyond traditional employment aspirations and emerge as entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators, saying the state has developed a supportive ecosystem spanning education, skill development, startups and industry.
Addressing the fifth foundation day ceremony of Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur (MGUG), Adityanath said opportunities for the younger generation were no longer restricted to government employment. Education, vocational training, startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), digital services, research and innovation were opening new avenues for growth, he said.
The chief minister said the state government’s initiatives over the past nine years had strengthened infrastructure, connectivity and investment, creating an environment conducive to industrial expansion and employment generation.
He pointed to the One District One Product (ODOP) programme, MSME sector, digital infrastructure and startup ecosystem as platforms that could help young entrepreneurs and local artisans turn ideas and skills into sustainable enterprises.
Adityanath said education must go beyond the acquisition of academic degrees and prepare students to identify challenges in the real world and develop practical solutions.
He stressed the need to establish stronger links between universities, industry and society so that classroom learning could translate into skills, capabilities, innovation and entrepreneurship. Such an approach, he said, could ultimately contribute to employment generation and broader economic development.
The CM also advocated greater integration of India’s traditional knowledge with contemporary science and technology. He identified Ayurveda, yoga, medicinal plants and traditional agricultural practices as areas with significant potential for research and innovation.
“Ayurveda should be linked with modern diagnostics and clinical research, while medicinal plants should be connected with biotechnology and pharmaceutical research,” he said.
Referring to the range of programmes offered by MGUG in traditional and modern medicine, nursing, pharmacy and agriculture, Adityanath said these disciplines should not operate in isolation. Their integration could create opportunities for research, startups and employment, he said.
He highlighted emerging technologies in healthcare, including artificial intelligence-based diagnosis, telemedicine, digital health, medical devices, biotechnology and genomics. In agriculture, he pointed to precision farming, drone technology, soil management, smart irrigation, agri-processing and climate-resilient farming as areas that could improve productivity and farmers’ incomes.
The chief minister also stressed the importance of maintaining research databases, strengthening quality testing, promoting advanced manufacturing and scientifically validating traditional treatments.
Describing Gorakhpur as a gateway to Uttar Pradesh’s wider potential, Adityanath said the city could develop into a regional centre for knowledge and economic activity, particularly in education, healthcare, agriculture and innovation.
He called for university research to extend beyond academic campuses and address practical requirements in villages, hospitals, industries and emerging businesses. Agricultural research, for instance, should help improve farm incomes, while medical research should contribute to better healthcare delivery in rural areas, he said.
Adityanath encouraged students to become future-ready and think beyond personal career advancement. He urged them to consider how their knowledge and skills could benefit society and contribute to the country’s development.
He proposed a four-way partnership involving the government, universities, industry and young people. While the government should provide an enabling ecosystem, universities should generate relevant knowledge and research, industry should create markets and opportunities, and youth should lead innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Universities should not become islands unto themselves,” he said, emphasising the importance of connecting higher education with societal requirements and encouraging students to become creators of employment rather than merely its seekers.
MGUG Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Dr Bhupesh Kumar Goyal said the university had expanded its academic offerings significantly, increasing the number of courses from 12 to 53 in five years.