Jaipur, Jan. 28 -- Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma said on Monday that India attained independence through the sacrifices and dedication of freedom fighters and later emerged as a democratic republic. He described the Constitution, drafted by Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar, as the guiding force of the nation. Addressing a function organised by the Rajasthan Secretariat Employees' Association at the state secretariat on the 77th Republic Day, the chief minister said, "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Centre is implementing the Constitution's welfare-oriented spirit at the grassroots level. Guided by this vision, the state government has taken several major steps for the upliftment and empowerment of the poor, farmers, women, and youth." Highlighting employment initiatives, Sharma said the youth are the future of both the state and the country, so the government is providing ample opportunities in education, training, and employment. "More than one lakh (100,000) government appointments have already been made, while recruitment is underway for over 1.54 lakh (154,000) posts. A calendar for another one lakh recruitments has also been issued for the current year. With this, we have crossed the figure of 3.5 lakh recruitments. The state will achieve its target of four lakh government recruitments within five years," he said. The CM said around 2.5 lakh (250,000) youth have been employed in the private sector as well. He cited the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit, during which investment MoUs worth nearly Rs.35 lakh crore were signed, with proposals exceeding Rs.8 lakh crore already materialised, creating large-scale employment opportunities. To strengthen higher education, Sharma said 71 new government colleges have been established. "The Rajasthan Youth Policy and Employment Policy have also been implemented for the holistic development of youth, he said, adding that the Youth Self-Employment Scheme has been launched to encourage entrepreneurship by providing interest-free loans to youth aged between 18 and 45 years, to turn job seekers into job creators. The CM announced that a committee led by the chief secretary will be formed to resolve cadre-related issues....