EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT START-UP POLICIES ON YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TIER 2 AND 3 CITIES OF UTTAR PRADESH

Abstract

This study critically evaluates the impact of government start-up policies on youth entrepreneurship in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of Uttar Pradesh, with Bareilly and Gorakhpur as empirical focal points. Using a primary dataset of 155 youth respondents and SPSS-24 for statistical analysis, the research uncovers how awareness, institutional support, and risk appetite influence the perceived effectiveness of government initiatives. Employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, ANOVA, regression, and PCA-based SEM approximation, the findings reveal substantial behavioural variation and city-wise policy impact differences. The study establishes that while awareness and optimism about government schemes exist, structural barriers continue to limit start-up scalability. This research contributes to policy discourse by advocating for decentralised, context-sensitive entrepreneurship policies rooted in local realities and youth-specific aspirations.