Lucknow: In a major initiative to strengthen financial literacy and improve economic decision-making among young people, the Uttar Pradesh government has partnered with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to provide financial skills training to more than 1.5 lakh youth across the state.
The initiative is being implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission (UPSDM) and the NSE. The programme aims to equip trainees with practical knowledge of savings, investments, budgeting, financial planning, and protection against online financial fraud.
According to UPSDM Mission Director Pulkit Khare, the collaboration marks the first time that skill development training in the state has been integrated with structured financial education. Beginning next week, over 1.5 lakh trainees enrolled at more than 1,000 training centres under UPSDM and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) will receive specialised financial literacy training.
The programme is expected to create a financially aware workforce capable of making informed economic decisions while also spreading awareness about financial fraud, fake investment schemes, and cyber scams, particularly in rural areas.
Prior to signing the MoU, UPSDM organised a financial literacy and awareness workshop at its headquarters, where NSE officials highlighted the growing importance of financial education in an era marked by increasing digital transactions and online fraud. Officials stressed that financial literacy has become an essential life skill for young earners entering the workforce.
During the workshop, NSE experts shared 12 key principles for financial success, including saving before spending, maintaining an emergency fund, living within one’s means, avoiding high-interest debt, investing regularly with diversification, understanding the balance between risk and returns, considering tax implications while investing, purchasing adequate insurance, building long-term assets, and periodically reviewing investment portfolios.
Participants were also introduced to the Sarathi App, an investor education platform developed by the NSE. The application provides educational videos, financial planning tools, investment calculators, and financial health assessment features to help users improve their financial knowledge and planning.
Pulkit Khare said the initiative would enable young people not only to earn an income after completing skill training but also to manage their finances responsibly. The programme will guide them on how to utilise their first salary wisely, prepare household budgets, develop savings habits, make informed investment choices, avoid unnecessary borrowing, and build long-term financial security.
Officials believe the training will also help participants make better decisions related to purchasing a home, starting a business, funding children’s education, planning healthcare expenses, and preparing for retirement. By improving financial awareness, the initiative is also expected to reduce vulnerability to online scams, fraudulent investment schemes, and other financial risks.
The partnership reflects the Yogi Adityanath government’s broader focus on combining employability with financial empowerment, ensuring that young people entering the workforce are equipped not only with professional skills but also with the knowledge required to build secure and financially resilient futures.
