With the number of educated jobless youth growing to new levels in the state, the need of the hour is to encourage youth to look towards the private sector to tide over the problem
|| SHEIKH UMAR AHMAD
Unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir has grown to new levels and is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon as the numbers of educated jobless youth keeps on rising geometrically every year. The problem of joblessness has political, economic and societal fallouts and at times the issue has hit the stars of politicians who had rose to new heights of success on the promises of resolving the problem. Every year thousands of youth come out from the universities and colleges to find themselves struggling to secure a job in the public sector in absence of a well developed private sector in the State particularly in Kashmir. In June this year when the Assembly was in session in the summer capital of Srinagar, the Government announced to undertake a survey to know the exact magnitude of unemployment in J&K after the PDP-BJP coalition and opposition differed on the number of educated unemployed youth in the State. The issue had come to the fore after the government in response to a question by an opposition member had asserted that the number of educated jobless youth in Jammu and Kashmir was only one lakh. The opposition had however objected to the claims of the government reiterating that the government was presenting a distorted picture of the problem in the state and instead the number of jobless youth had grown beyond five lakh persons. In J&K the opportunities for jobs in the public sector are limited. Either an aspiring youth has to crack a competitive exam at the state or national level to get a job or he/she has to pass the test in any professional course like medical or engineering. Some educated youth after burning their Beast of joblessness midnight oil and working hard crack the tough competitive exams while as some others invest in the private sector by establishing small business units by self financing their business models.
Every year thousands of youth come out from the universities and colleges to find themselves struggling to secure a job in the public sector in absence of a well developed private sector in the State particularly in Kashmir.
These entrepreneurs act as a source of inspiration for young and educated people who instead of wastage time in running after the government jobs try their luck in the private sector. These budding entrepreneurs need to be encouraged for they act as brand ambassadors to encourage the youth to see their future in private sector. “With state failing to find a permanent solution to the rising joblessness it is time for the authorities to provide a helping hand to those who want to rise independently and chase their dreams in the private sector which can help the state to come out of this unemployment trap,” said an economist.
With state failing to find a permanent solution to the rising joblessness it is time for the authorities to provide a helping hand to those who want to chase their dreams in the private sector
“The state administration must not only at priority basis clear the projects wherein the budding entrepreneurs take upon themselves to shape their future they should also be provided necessary financial resources to help them give practical shape to their ideas and stop brain drain from the state.” As per the official figures the government has an employee workforce of around 4.8 lakh persons from the higher levels to the lower levels. But the number of the educated unemployed youth as per a survey which was conducted by the previous National Conference-Congress government was 5.9 lakh. “The private sector is rapidly establishing its roots in other states to help solve the problem of unemployment. In case of Jammu and Kashmir scores of budding entrepreneurs have developed a professional niche in society and are representing the state not only at the national level but at the global level as well. The government should come up with a policy to promote the entrepreneurship in the state,” said the economist.
As per the official figures the government has an employee workforce of around 4.8 lakh persons from the higher levels to the lower levels. But the number of the educated unemployed youth as per a survey which was conducted by the previous National Conference- Congress government was 5.9 lakh.
