UP Deputy CM Urges Youth To Drive Autos, Earn Money And Spend More Time With Family

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has sparked a debate after advising young people to consider self-employment through driving e-rickshaws or taxis instead of continuously pursuing conventional jobs. Pathak made the remarks while speaking at the launch of the Bharat Taxi service in Lucknow on September 23. A video of his comments later circulated widely on social media, where his remarks were interpreted by some as suggesting that unemployed youth should stop looking for jobs and take up driving instead. However, reports on the event indicate that Pathak was addressing drivers and promoting driving as a self-employment opportunity.

During his speech, Pathak encouraged drivers to structure their working hours in a way that would allow them to earn an income while also spending time with their families. He suggested working for around four hours, returning home for lunch and spending time with children before going back to work later in the day. Pathak also spoke about taking passengers whose destinations were closer to the driver’s home toward the end of a working shift, allowing drivers to manage their schedules around family responsibilities. His comments were made in the context of the newly launched taxi service and the audience at the event included drivers associated with the initiative.

Pathak’s remarks have nevertheless generated criticism and political debate, particularly over the suggestion that young people should not focus on pursuing traditional employment. Critics have questioned whether encouraging educated and unemployed youth to take up driving addresses the broader issue of job creation. The comments have also prompted discussion on social media about employment opportunities, self-employment and the expectations placed on governments to generate jobs for young people. The criticism followed the circulation of short clips of Pathak’s speech, which removed some of the surrounding context about the Bharat Taxi launch and his remarks to drivers.

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The Bharat Taxi service was launched as a cooperative-based mobility initiative intended to provide drivers with an avenue for earning a livelihood through taxi and other passenger-transport services. Pathak used the occasion to emphasise the potential flexibility of self-employment. In his remarks, he contrasted working for oneself with conventional employment, arguing that people running their own businesses could exercise greater control over their schedules. He also used the Hindi phrase “paradhin sapnehu sukh nahi,” conveying the idea that dependence comes with limitations, as part of his argument in favour of self-reliance.

The controversy has also highlighted the distinction between the full speech and the version circulating online. A fact-check of the viral video found that the footage was genuine and was recorded during the Bharat Taxi launch, rather than being an unrelated or fabricated clip. At the same time, the context showed that Pathak was speaking to drivers and encouraging them to consider driving as an income-generating occupation with flexible working hours. The broader interpretation of his remarks, including whether they amounted to advice for all unemployed youth to abandon job searches, has become a point of debate following the video's circulation.

Pathak’s comments come amid an ongoing public discussion in Uttar Pradesh and across India about unemployment, formal employment and self-employment opportunities. Driving and other platform-based work can provide an income source for some workers, while traditional salaried employment remains a major aspiration among many young people. The remarks have therefore drawn attention not only to the Bharat Taxi initiative but also to the wider question of how governments, businesses and individuals can address employment and livelihood opportunities for the country’s growing workforce.

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