New Delhi: Contrary to the impression created, not all recruitments made through Rozgar Mela events are new as even promotions for existing job holders are included in the data put out by the Union government, The Telegraph reported.These job drives are being held once a month from October 2022, with Prime Minister Narendra addressing each of these events virtually. Appointment letters are given away to ‘fresh job takers’, according to the government. These monthly events are held simultaneously in 45 cities, with a publicity overdrive on the part of the government to counter criticism that the Narendra Modi government has failed miserably in creating jobs for the youth.The data received from the government, in response to information sought by the Telegraph under the Right to Information (RTI), has revealed that even promotions are being passed off as new recruitments and are being added to the cumulative data to inflate the figures.For instance, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, in April this year, made 15 new appointments and approved 21 promotions. Letters to the newly appointed persons as well as those who received promotions at IISET, however, were issued letters during the Rozgar Mela events.Similarly, 38 persons were given appointment letters for positions at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in April. However, the fine print reveals that 18 out of these were mere cases of promotions, not new employment.The news outlet sought a response from Union higher education secretary, Sanjay Murthy, on the rationale behind including promotions in the newly generated employment data. However, he is yet to respond.“People getting promotions are already in service. Their position only changes. There is no logic to consider them as fresh employment. Inclusion of promotion data helps the government to create some records but it is misleading,” a faculty member at an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) told the newspaper.Although these melas are not really in line with the publicised objectives, a meticulously planned publicity drive, however, is in place before and after these events every month. Public broadcasters Doordarshan and All Indian Radio along with government-run Press Information Bureau are roped in to ensure maximum visibility. Protocols further say that Prime Minister Modi’s speeches should be telecast live on giant screens at these melas.The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the nodal agency for this, records sound bites of newly appointed recruits in high resolution, who mention their names and their job offers in these videos.Job creation is crucial for Prime Minister Modi who will be seeking a third term in office in May 2024. His nine-year term is criticised for the highest joblessness the country has seen in the last few decades. There is a perceptible discontent among the youth over the lack of jobs and low wages. Although the unemployment rate fell in July – as it does during this time of year due to sowing season – it still remains at a staggering 7.95%, according to the data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).