MUMBAI: For thousands of young students across the state, a golden opportunity to work in Germany now feels like a distant dream. Ten months ago, 7,500 students were shortlisted under a Maharashtra government project to provide skilled manpower to the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. But ever since, there has been no further communication from the state government.
The initiative was launched with much fanfare in 2024 under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Maharashtra government and the German authorities. Over 32,000 students registered for the programme, and 7,500, selected for training in various trades, were to join German language classes scheduled to begin in September 2024. But the training never materialised. Many students had left existing jobs in the hope of securing a better future abroad. Now, with no sign of movement, disappointment is fast turning into desperation.
According to the government resolution issued on July 11, 2024, the state had proposed a fund of ₹36 crore to support German-language training for 10,000 students across 400 institutions. Each training centre was to host batches of 25 students. The plan included a monthly subsidy of ₹10,000 per student for institutions located in cities and ₹7,000 per student for those in rural areas.
A letter from the students reads, “The silence from the state has been frustrating. Many of us saw the project as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly to for skilled jobs.” The pilot project was formally inaugurated by then governor Ramesh Bais at Raj Bhavan in August 2024. A task force was set up, centres across Maharashtra were approved and coordination was planned across departments. But after the assembly elections, the entire process was stalled.
Former school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, who chaired the task force, said that he had recently met Devendra Fadnavis regarding the project. “He asked me to submit a proposal to work as a coordinator,” he said. “Once that is done, we hope the initiative will gain momentum again.” Kesarkar added that the MoU would help Maharashtra’s youth not only in employment but in higher education as well.
Rahul Rekhawar, director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, said, “The database of candidates is ready. We have also identified centres across the state to provide German-language training to the selected candidates. There are several joint groups of German and state officers working on various segments of the MoU. Once the mechanism for sending candidates is finalised, we will start training sessions as per requirements.”