- CS reviews preparations with stakeholders
JAMMU, Dec 6: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo convened a meeting with various stakeholders today to evaluate the steps taken for a baseline survey conducted jointly by the Labour and Employment and Planning Departments. This initiative aims to identify approximately 137,000 youth to transform them into successful entrepreneurs.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Labour & Employment Department, Secretary of Planning and Development, along with the Principal Secretary of the School Education Department; Commissioner Secretary of Higher Education; DG of Employment and Skills; DG of Budget; MD of the Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Program; MD of JKRLM; and representatives from IIM, NABARD, JK Bank, and BISAG-N, among other relevant officials.
Deputy Commissioners participated in the meeting via video conferencing.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary was presented with a demonstration of the online application that will facilitate the survey, conducted by approximately 20,000 investigators appointed by the Planning Department throughout the Union Territory.
Dulloo emphasized that the goal of this survey is to pinpoint J&K youth interested in self-employment through various entrepreneurial activities, with support from the government under the Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan).
He urged university and college students in the region to participate in this survey to ensure its effectiveness in understanding their aspirations regarding self-employment and the obstacles they face in achieving their goals.
The Chief Secretary also encouraged the team to gather as much data as possible to develop multiple analytics for clear comprehension. He noted that this data would assist the administration in the execution of other schemes and the development of future policies.
He stressed to the Deputy Commissioners the importance of appointing a senior officer as a nodal officer for ongoing monitoring of this initiative. He recommended organizing training sessions for the investigators and conducting robust informational campaigns through both social and mainstream media to raise awareness among the public.
In his presentation, the Secretary of Labour and Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed attendees that this initiative comprises two principal components: surveying existing enterprises to assess their challenges and identifying potential entrepreneurs within the population.
He added that an online application developed by BISAG-N for the Department will capture data in real-time using a set of questions based on established questionnaires.
The primary objective is to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture and a favorable ecosystem that supports individuals aged 18-49 years in launching at least 137,000 new enterprises, thereby creating around 425,000 job opportunities over the next five years.
Regarding the survey execution, DG of Employment and Skills, Satveer Kour, stated that each district will identify a group of Master Trainers, who will receive a week of training in both Srinagar and Jammu.
She further mentioned that a tabulation plan and workflow will be established over the next two weeks, followed by training for field staff for two additional weeks. These staff will carry out the enumeration process in urban and rural areas of the UT, supervised by employees from the Labour and Planning Departments.
In addition, a ‘Youth Skill & Entrepreneurship App’ has been created for the implementation of Mission YUVA. It has been designed inclusively to foster the essential entrepreneurial ecosystem by involving 1,000 motivators, 80 Business Help Desks, Incubation Centers, and an Innovation Hub at IIM Jammu.
This app will serve as a comprehensive solution, providing registered youth with job opportunities and enabling access to online and offline skill courses, soft skills training, career counseling, and a platform to apply for loans from various financial institutions, complete with necessary interest subsidies.
The meeting concluded with the announcement that this portal will also assist users in receiving job alerts, generating CVs for job applications, utilizing Artificial Intelligence for enterprise DPRs, and enhancing their capabilities and market connections through e-commerce on a global scale.
