Key highlights

• National Youth Day/National Youth Week is an official Government of India youth affairs observance framework linked to 12 January. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
• India has an officially approved Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme with a large outlay and a defined window (Aug 2025–Jul 2027). Press Information Bureau

National Youth Day is not just a tribute to Swami Vivekananda; it’s when the state speaks directly to the country’s most valuable asset—its young people—without the buffer of legacy.

And in 2026, youth policy is going to be judged on one metric: jobs that feel real.

Here’s what’s already official in the jobs-policy space: the Union Cabinet has approved an Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, with an outlay of ₹99,446 crore, aimed at incentivising job creation and formal workforce entry, with benefits tied to jobs created between 01 Aug 2025 and 31 Jul 2027. Press Information Bureau

So if a January 12 policy address mentions employment incentives, it won’t be random—it will be anchored to a scheme already on the table.

If you’re a student or early-career professional: this is the year to track formalisation (EPFO-linked jobs, first-time workforce entry support, employer incentives) because that’s where India is trying to push the labour market from informal hustle to formal stability.