Varanasi, March 6 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government officials, European union representatives and policy experts gathered here for a state-level programme exploring education and employment opportunities for students and skilled workers from Uttar Pradesh in European countries.
The event, titled “Linking India-EU Mobility Opportunities with Uttar Pradesh,” was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the European union and the Uttar Pradesh government as part of the India–EU Cooperation and Dialogue on Migration and Mobility (Phase II) initiative.
The discussions, held last week, highlighted the growing demand for skilled workers in several EU countries and emphasised the need to raise awareness about legal migration pathways for prospective migrants from the state.
UP Labour and Employment Minister Anil Rajbhar, the programme’s chief guest, noted that the dialogue focused on expanding legal avenues for students and workers seeking opportunities abroad, while aligning India’s skill development initiatives with the labour requirements of European economies.
Officials from both government and international institutions, including Gina Uika, Joint Secretary for Emigration Policy and Welfare at the Ministry of External Affairs; Abhijit Chakraborty, Joint Secretary at the Indian Council of World Affairs; Kunal Silku, Special Secretary in the Uttar Pradesh Labour Department; and S. Rajalingam, Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi, participated in the deliberations.
Representatives from EU member states and international organisations, such as Veronika Liskova from the Delegation of the European union to India and Bhutan and Eugenio Bortolusso from the Embassy of Italy, spoke on cooperation in education, labour mobility, and migration governance.
Officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) also outlined ongoing initiatives to strengthen legal migration and labour mobility between India and Europe.
The discussions were held under the India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility, adopted in 2016, which aims to enhance cooperation on legal migration, mobility and measures to address irregular migration along the India–EU corridor.
A separate outreach session for students was organised at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on February 27. During the event, BHU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi addressed students and encouraged them to explore international education opportunities. Representatives from the EU Delegation and the Italian Embassy also interacted with students, explaining admission processes, study options and possible career pathways in European universities.
The events sought to inform students and job seekers in UP about opportunities available in Europe and the procedures required to pursue them through official channels.
