Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government is taking continuous and impactful steps to make youth self-reliant, employment-oriented and globally competitive. In this direction, the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) organised a grand felicitation ceremony on Wednesday at its headquarters in Lucknow to honour the winners of the State-Level Skill Competition 2025–26 under the India Skills Competition.
A total of 40 winners, who demonstrated outstanding performance across 20 different skill trades, were awarded prizes and certificates during the event. Two winners from each skill trade were honoured for their dedication, technical expertise and hard work.
The programme was held under the guidance of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Vocational Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Kapil Dev Agarwal. Principal Secretary Dr Hari Om and Mission Director Pulkit Khare felicitated the winners on the occasion.
Interacting with the awardees, Dr Hari Om said the state government is committed to equipping youth with modern, job-oriented skills aligned with global standards. He noted that such competitions foster a spirit of healthy competition and provide youth with opportunities to reach national and international platforms.
Mission Director Pulkit Khare said that the state-level competition serves as a strong platform to identify talent and inspire youth towards self-reliance and excellence. He informed that all selected winners will participate in a special boot camp in Lucknow, where experts will train them for the North Regional Skills Competition. Additional Mission Director Priya Singh emphasised that skill development is a powerful tool for empowering youth and that the mission remains focused on delivering quality training.
It was highlighted that World Skills competitions are held every two years. While 7,472 participants registered in 2024, registrations for 2026 have surged to 1,09,249, making Uttar Pradesh the state with the highest number of registrations in the country. Participation has also expanded from 10 skills in 2024 to 20 skills this year. Additionally, competitions that were earlier held at a single centre were conducted across 11 centres in Lucknow this year, with 1,270 participants taking part.
During the programme, a Social Media Cell was launched to enhance public outreach of mission activities. An MoU was also exchanged with the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) to further strengthen quality training initiatives. Senior officials and representatives from various institutions were present at the event.
