The Assam government has constituted a high-level task force, headed by Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, to prepare a detailed roadmap for providing two lakh government jobs across various departments over the next five years. This initiative follows a recent cabinet decision aimed at fulfilling a key electoral promise.
The formation of this task force marks a significant step in the state’s efforts to address unemployment and boost public sector opportunities. The move is expected to streamline recruitment processes, ensure transparency, and foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem alongside direct government employment.
What was announced
The Assam government announced the formation of the ‘Mission 2 Lakh Govt Jobs‘ task force following a cabinet meeting held on May 13, 2026. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma‘s administration decided to establish this task force to meticulously plan and execute the creation of two lakh government jobs within the next five years.
Chief Secretary Ravi Kota chairs the task force, which has been mandated to submit a comprehensive report within three months. The report will outline the modalities for generating employment across various government departments, field offices, autonomous bodies, colleges, universities, missions, and societies.
A detailed review meeting on the operationalisation of the task force was chaired by Chief Secretary Kota on May 27, 2026. Discussions focused on mapping existing and anticipated vacancies, assessing year-wise retirement projections, and identifying direct recruitment opportunities.
Why it matters
This initiative is crucial for Assam’s youth, promising a substantial increase in public sector employment opportunities. The target of two lakh jobs over five years signifies a sustained commitment to job creation, building upon the government’s previous efforts.
Chief Minister Sarma has consistently emphasised the importance of transparency and merit-based recruitment, aiming to eliminate corruption and litigation that plagued past hiring processes. The task force’s mandate includes rationalising and streamlining recruitment to ensure timely and fair appointments.
Beyond direct government jobs, the initiative also aims to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment. Chief Minister Sarma has stressed the need to nurture a generation of youth capable of creating job opportunities for others, through schemes like the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan (CMAAA).
Background
The commitment to provide two lakh government jobs is a core component of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto) for the recent Assembly elections. This follows a strong track record of employment generation by the Himanta Biswa Sarma government during its previous tenure.
During its previous term (2021-2026), the Assam government successfully provided over 1.64 lakh government jobs through the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) and various departmental recruitment processes. This exceeded the 2021 election promise of one lakh jobs.
The state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.9 percent for persons aged 15 years and above in 2023-24, which was higher than the national average of 3.2 percent, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) reports. This context underscores the need for robust employment generation policies.
Chief Minister Sarma has repeatedly highlighted a shift in recruitment practices, moving from an era of alleged corruption and court battles to a system based on transparency, accountability, and merit. He stated that the current government has ensured “zero court cases related to government recruitment and no allegations of corruption.”
Key details
The task force, under Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, is charged with several critical responsibilities to develop the five-year roadmap. These include:
- Mapping existing and anticipated vacancies across all government departments, field offices, autonomous bodies, colleges, universities, missions, and societies.
- Assessing year-wise retirement projections and grade-wise vacancies in field offices.
- Identifying direct recruitment vacancies across departments.
- Rationalising and streamlining recruitment processes to ensure transparency and timely appointments.
- Proposing measures to improve manpower availability in remote and difficult areas through suitable policy interventions and incentives.
- Preparing annual employment targets and department-wise projections.
- Establishing robust implementation and monitoring mechanisms for public employment in Assam.
The initiative also integrates efforts to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment, aiming to empower youth to become job creators rather than solely job seekers. This includes leveraging schemes such as the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan (CMAAA).
Reactions
“There’s no time to rest in our quest to deliver on our promises. My team is already at work to identify vacancies, create the roadmap, map out departments and bodies and chalk out the time frame to deliver on the commitment of 2 lakh Govt jobs,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“Our government is committed to providing two lakh government jobs in the state. At the same time, we must nurture a generation of youth who can create job opportunities for others by building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state,” Chief Minister Sarma said during a speech in the state legislative assembly.
What’s next
The task force is expected to submit its detailed report within three months of its formation. Following the submission, the Assam government will review the roadmap and begin implementing the strategies for phased recruitment and entrepreneurship promotion. Departments have already been directed to conduct internal assessments to provide actionable inputs for the roadmap.
Aspirants can expect more specific details regarding department-wise vacancies and application processes to emerge once the roadmap is finalised and approved. The government’s focus remains on a structured, transparent, and future-oriented approach to employment generation.