JAMMU, DEC 06: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting with key stakeholders to review the preparations for a baseline survey, jointly conducted by the Labour & Employment and Planning Departments, aimed at identifying approximately 1.37 lakh youth for entrepreneurial opportunities.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary was given a demonstration of the online application through which the survey will be conducted by around 20,000 investigators, designated by the Planning Department, to carry out the exercise across the UT.
Speaking on the survey, Dulloo emphasized that the primary objective of the initiative is to identify J&K youth inclined towards self-employment through various entrepreneurship activities. The government plans to provide support through Mission YUVA (Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan) to guide and mentor these aspiring entrepreneurs.
He encouraged students in universities and colleges to actively participate in the survey, making it a meaningful exercise to better understand their aspirations for self-employment and the challenges they face in achieving these goals.
The Chief Secretary also urged the collection of as much data as possible to generate valuable analytics that would aid in the effective implementation of various schemes and the development of future policies.
He advised Deputy Commissioners to appoint senior officers as nodal officers for continuous monitoring of the survey in their respective areas and recommended training sessions for investigators. Additionally, he called for sustained informational campaigns in both social and mainstream media to raise awareness among the public.
In the meeting, Secretary of Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, presented details of the survey, highlighting two key components: surveying existing enterprises to identify challenges and identifying potential entrepreneurs from the population. He also shared that an online app developed by BISAG-N will collect real-time data using a set of questions based on specially designed questionnaires.
The survey’s goal is to foster an entrepreneurial culture and create a conducive ecosystem to help individuals aged 18-49 start at least 1.37 lakh new enterprises, which will generate around 4.25 lakh job opportunities over the next five years.
DG of Employment & Skills, Satveer Kour, informed the meeting that a group of Master Trainers from each district will be identified by the respective Deputy Commissioners for a week-long training program in Srinagar and Jammu. Afterward, field staff will undergo two weeks of training to carry out the survey in towns and villages across the UT, under the supervision of the Labour and Planning Departments.
Additionally, the ‘Youth Skill & Entrepreneurship App’ has been developed to implement Mission YUVA. The app is designed to foster a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem by engaging 1,000 motivators, 80 Business Help Desks, Incubation Centres, and an Innovation Hub at IIM Jammu. The app will serve as a one-stop solution for registered youth, providing access to job opportunities, skill development courses (both online and offline), soft skills training, career counseling, and a platform for applying for credit from financial institutions with interest subvention and subsidies. It will also offer job alerts, CV generation tools, and assistance with business planning, using Artificial Intelligence to develop Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for new enterprises. Furthermore, the app will enhance capacity-building, market linkages, and access to global e-commerce platforms.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Labour & Employment Department, Secretary of Planning, Development & Monitoring, Principal Secretary of School Education, Commissioner Secretary of Higher Education, DG of Employment & Skills, DG of Budget, MD of HADP, MD of JKRLM, and representatives from IIM, NABARD, JK Bank, BISAG-N, along with other concerned officers. Deputy Commissioners participated via video conferencing.
