Population of J&K state has crossed 125 lakh figure and literacy rate well ahead at 68% but 6 lakh jobless youth sounds an alarm because this un-utilized precious human resource is one of the chief area of deep concern for the both the people and the government. As in past nearly 42% of our annual budget will be consumed by salary drawing government employees or pensioners and this unfortunate state will continue to groan in the debt trap, fiscal deficit and piling liability.
     True; Geography, history, educational policy and politics, all, have contributed in worsening our piquant problem. A large segment of our brethren are bearing the brunt but this menace worries our present government too.
    Besides J & K Bank- the lone corporate house that turns out to be of some help, the government sector continues to be the biggest employer. Past governmental efforts for wooing outside investors haven’t produced the desired results; hence private sector too offers little in our state. Pace of recruiting employees against over twenty thousand vacancies, no doubt, seems sloth-stricken especially when every month hundreds of government employees reach retirement stage, but low absorption capacity in government sector, continues to offer little hope. Although we do need to improve doctor patient ratio and require more health care units but amid fiscal constraints floating the triple p concept, public private partnership , in many demand based sectors, is thought to be a solution worth trials.  Then we know every year thousands of  more educated  young persons- who can not make it to professional colleges ( nearly 80 % of tuition-goers) get added to the long list of unemployed ; not to speak of  under employed persons.- who , in absence of  round- the- year-work, waste the productively- potential - time of prime, by letting it go un-utilized. The recent recession world wide has dented the career option of business-management and dawned how tremors in global trade travel even to remotest corners; especially when crafty Shylocks play their maneuvering game of thriving on the carcasses of little fishes. Commerce and politics seem getting closer to exploitative prostitution. Things get worst day by day.
   Propelled by the Directive Principles, that is enshrined in the constitution, and also by the concept of Welfare State, government steps into the shoes of parents. Policies and programmes are devised to help jobless people to eke-out their livelihood. A number of schemes are being implemented by various departments; in which bank loan, skill up gradation, grooming entrepreneurial attitudes, supporting incentives, subsidies, refunds, tax holidays, marketing intervention and many other facilities are extended but even if we presume 100% targets are achieved under each and every scheme, number of beneficiaries who gain employment, directly or indirectly, in these self-employment ventures, the mis- match is glaring.       Beyond this, such crutches- that were devised with the intentions of allowing a level field to the first generation entrepreneurs, have a negative impact too. Hankering after subsidies, heavy reliance on shady supply to government departments & local consumers breeds a type of negative culture. A periodic impact  analysis seems imperative to find how the benefits of incentives percolates to all registered  units, proportionate to the total investment made in each unit & sales reflected in tax-returns and electricity tariff paid. Besides this, local workers need to be really employed ; for whom  skill up gradation  training be arranged by government ; after arranging the futurist/forward looking long term- demand-forecast for training suitable candidates chosen carefully by designated  select-committee  in mutually identified potentially viable activities encompassing agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, Tourism-related industry and service units. Since bankers are the main stake holders in such business, they too should be taken on board in winnowing process as is done in Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme.
 As all are aware, normal Office work in many offices suffers when census, updating of voter lists or even elections are around, these beneficiaries of VSA be mustered to do these jobs.  To begin with the registered postgraduates and graduates  ( numbering above  3,500 and over 17,000 respectively out of total 68,000 registered with the  Employment cum counseling office) of Srinagar district, may be roped in to work practically  for 3-4 hours per day, in those under staffed offices where recruitment process may take some time. This could be more beneficial and dignified.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST