NEW DELHI: Government should never be a hurdle and should always be a facilitator of growth, PM Narendra Modi said on Saturday while virtually distributing 51,000 appointment letters for central government jobs, with this over 10 lakh recruitment letters have been issued through Rozgar melas since October 2022.Addressing the new recruits, PM Modi said the world acknowledges that India has two limitless strengths, one in demography and the other in democracy, the largest youth population and the world’s biggest democracy. “This power of youth is both the greatest asset and the strongest guarantee for Bharat’s bright future. Our government is working day and night to turn this strength into a formula for prosperity.”Modi said every individual deserves the opportunity to move ahead and it’s the responsibility of the government to extend a helping hand. “And you, my friends, are young. I have great faith in you. I have high expectations from you. Wherever you’re assigned, you must always put the citizens first. Helping them, easing their difficulties-that alone will push the nation forward rapidly.” Modi said besides giving permanent government jobs, his administration is also focusing on creating new employment opportunities in the private sector. Referring to the recent Cabinet decision on the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme, he said the government will provide Rs 15,000 to a youth getting their first job in the private sector, which means the first month’s salary of such employees will be borne by the government. For this, Rs 1 lakh crore has been allocated, he said.Highlighting a recently released report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Modi said it found more than 90 crore citizens in India have been brought under the umbrella of welfare schemes over the last decade, which is essentially an expansion of social security. He also spoke about the achievement of nearly 25 crore people rising out of poverty by “defeating poverty with their strength and courage”.The PM said global institutions like the World Bank are openly praising India for this achievement and it’s now being ranked among the top countries in the world in terms of equality. “This means inequality is decreasing rapidly, and we are moving toward greater equality. The world is now taking note of this transformation,” he said.