India, July 1 -- For thousands of young students across the state, a golden opportunity to work in Germany now feels like a distant dream. Ten months ago, 7,500 students were shortlisted under a Maharashtra government project to provide skilled manpower to the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. But ever since, there has been no further communication from the state government.

The initiative was launched with much fanfare in 2024 under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Maharashtra government and the German authorities. Over 32,000 students registered for the programme, and 7,500, selected for training in various trades, were to join German language classes scheduled to begin in September 2024. But the training never material...