More than 1,300 workers selected under a Uttar Pradesh government programme to work in Israel have been left in prolonged uncertainty for over 14 months, triggering anger and protests among candidates, even as the state government has announced fresh overseas job vacancies for 2026.
The workers were selected during the 2024–25 recruitment cycle conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Department. While the government maintains that deployment will take place in phases, the affected candidates say the extended delay has pushed many of them into financial distress and emotional turmoil.
Multi-Stage Recruitment, No Deployment
Around 5,000 applicants from across Uttar Pradesh had applied for the overseas employment programme through the state’s Rozgar Sangam portal. After a multi-stage selection process, 1,383 workers were chosen for deployment to Israel.
According to the workers, all mandatory procedures were completed, including English language screening, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training, interviews with Israeli employers, and document verification, which was held in Varanasi. The recruitment process was carried out in coordination with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority.
Candidates were selected for skilled construction trades such as shuttering, carpentry, iron bending, tile masonry and plaster masonry, with applicants coming from multiple districts across the state.
However, despite clearing every stage of the process, none of the workers from this batch has been deployed so far.
Read also: Leopard Attack in Uttar Pradesh: Dramatic Escape of Farmer Highlights Growing Wildlife Risks
Lives Put on Hold
Many of the selected candidates say the prolonged delay has made it impossible for them to take up regular employment in India, as they continue to wait for deployment or call letters that officials say could arrive “any day.”
Arvind, a resident of Lucknow selected in the shuttering trade, said the uncertainty has left him unable to support his family.
“We are told the call letter could come at any moment, so taking another job feels risky. Fourteen months have passed, and nothing has happened,” he said.
Ved Prakash Tripathi from Sultanpur echoed similar concerns. “I cleared all interviews, but after that there has been no update. Family responsibilities, marriage and future plans are all hanging in the balance,” he said.
Manoj Kumar from Unnao said he had quit local work after convincing his family to support his decision to go abroad, despite his father’s illness.
“I left everything to go to Israel. Now even managing household expenses has become difficult,” he said.
Allegations Against Private Agencies
The workers have also raised serious allegations that private agencies are sending labourers to Israel by charging hefty sums, reportedly as high as ₹6 lakh per worker. Several private firms have been named in complaints submitted by the affected candidates.
The workers allege that while they followed the official government process without paying intermediaries, others are being deployed through private channels by paying large fees. As of now, no official action against the named agencies has been announced.
Government Response
Responding to the growing discontent, Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Minister Kapil Dev Agarwal said the government is in ongoing discussions with relevant authorities and that the remaining workers would be sent after another round of training.
He claimed that around 8,000 workers from Uttar Pradesh have already been deployed to Israel under the programme and assured that the selected candidates would be sent in phases.
However, the announcement of fresh vacancies for 2026 has further angered those from the 2024–25 batch, who say they are still waiting for clarity on their future.
Growing Unrest
With no clear timeline for deployment, frustration among the selected workers continues to mount. Many say they feel forgotten after completing all formalities and are demanding either immediate deployment or clear communication from the authorities.
As uncertainty persists, the workers warn that protests may intensify unless concrete steps are taken to resolve their long-pending cases.
Read also: Uttar Pradesh Ranks 4th in NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2024, Tops Landlocked States
