Cabinet approves revised Connect to Work norms for youth scholarships, income cap set at ₹5 lakh

The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday approved the revised guidelines for the Chief Minister’s Connect to Work scheme, aimed at improving employment prospects among youth through skill development.

Under the revised norms, the annual family income of applicants should not exceed ₹5 lakh. Applicants must be permanent residents of Kerala and aged between 18 and 30 years as on the date of application.

Eligible beneficiaries include candidates undergoing skill training in central or state government departments, public sector undertakings and their subsidiaries, recognised universities, deemed universities, and recognised private institutions. Those preparing for competitive examinations conducted by the UPSC, state PSCs, Staff Selection Commission, armed forces, banks, railways, and other central and state public sector recruitment agencies are also eligible.

Scholarships will be extended to the first 5 lakh eligible applicants. The scheme seeks to enhance employment opportunities by strengthening skill development, while boosting youth confidence and sustaining academic motivation.

Implemented by the government through the Employment Department, applications can be submitted through the web portal eemployment.kerala.gov.in. The scholarship amount will be credited directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with ₹1,000 per month provided for a period of 12 months.