Despite repeated promises, the Centre has miserably failed to create job avenues for educated unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir, more than a year after Article 370 abrogation
By Ajaz Rashid
When the Parliament approved a bill to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5 last year, the government of India had promised the move would usher in a new dawn in J&K and open job avenues for educated unemployed youth.
The joblessness has grown like a deadly disease in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Kashmir Valley. In absence of any avenues in the private sector, the educated youth of Kashmir are heavily dependent on the employment avenues in the government sector. But over the years, the government sector, the only source of jobs for the educated jobless youth has got saturated to the extent that J&K was among the few states having around six lakh employees. Barely days after the August 5 move Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his televised address to nation promised that the days of suffering for the people of Jammu and Kashmir have come to an end and better times were ahead. He even assured people of Jammu and Kashmir that the “historic act would usher in a new dawn” in the region and help in the development of opportunities for the youth in J&K.
The Prime Minister then went on to explain that abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status would promote private investments in the region as increasing the avenues of employment. But, more than 13 months down the line, the joblessness in Kashmir continues to grow. Not only has the centre failed to attract any major investment to Kashmir in the past more than a month, but the authorities have also repeatedly failed to live up to their promises about mega job packages for Jammu and Kashmir. For all these months since the abrogation of Article 370 – a constitutional provision that gave unique status to Jammu and Kashmir in the union of India – from ministers in the government of India to then J&K governor and the Lt Governor, every authority promised mega jobs package for the Jammu and Kashmir, now a Union Territory. On the ground, however, the situation continues to worsen with each passing day.
As per the Economic Survey Report of 2016, the employment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is higher than the average national employment rate. Nearly a quarter of its population in the age group of 18 to 29 years is unemployed, which is far more than the national rate of 13.2 per cent. As per the official data, at least three lakh unemployed youth — including 1.5 lakh postgraduates and PhD scholars —registered with the department till December 2019. On September 21, a local news agency reported that the unemployment was on a rise in Jammu and Kashmir as the number of fresh jobless youth who have registered with the Labour and Employment Department has swelled by 94,000.
In January 2018, the number of educated unemployed youths registered with district employment and counselling centres was 87,650. According to the data revealed by then Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, 41,981 were registered with the centres in Kashmir division and 45,669 in Jammu division. According to the latest data, 25257 such youth are postgraduates and 15066 graduates. The document reveals that 20257, 765, and 14403 youth have respectively passed class 12th, 11th and 10th. Of them, 4407 are middle pass and 755 illiterates while 4043 are diploma holders, 5650-degree holders, 151 draftsmen, 1654 skilled other than ITI and 1803 ITI trained. As per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) reply to a parliamentary panel on February 18 this year, there are over 84,000 vacancies in J&K of which 22,078 vacancies pertain to Class IV employees, 54,375 to non-gazetted and 7,552 vacancies at the gazetted level.
As per the Economic Survey Report of 2016, the employment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is higher than the average national employment rate. Nearly a quarter of its population in the age group of 18 to 29 years is unemployed, which is far more than the national rate of 13.2 per cent. As per the official data, at least three lakh unemployed youth — including 1.5 lakh postgraduates and PhD scholars —registered with the department till December 2019
“The number of such vacancies must have gone beyond one lakh. There is no word from the government on filling up these posts,” said an official. He said a separate survey indicated that the unemployment rate among graduate, technical degree holders and postgraduates were higher. “All these figures amply demonstrate the grim situation the youth of J&K have been forced to face despite tall promises from the highest offices of this country,” he said.
The official said there has been no progress on filling up of many vacancies referred to both JK Service Selection Board (SSB) and J&K Public Service Commission (PSC) several months ago. These positions continue to remain vacant even as the government has at least on two occasions in the past two months promised to create thousands of new jobs and fill them up on the fast-track basis.
The joblessness has grown like a deadly disease in Jammu and Kashmir. In absence of any avenues in the private sector, the educated youth of Kashmir is heavily dependent on employment avenues in the government sector. But over the years, the government sector, the only source of jobs for the educated jobless youth has got saturated to the extent that J&K was among the few states having around six lakh employees
In less than a month of the abrogation of J&K’s special status, the then Governor Satya Pal Malik announced that 50,000 vacant government posts would be filled up in the next few months. He had asked the youth to enthusiastically participate in the recruitment drive. Following his statement, several central ministers including a minister in the PMO, Jitendra Singh and others had assured the government of India would address all concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and assured that more job opportunities were on way for Jammu and Kashmir. When GC Murmu took over as the first Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, he had promised that a process was underway to provide jobs to 30,000-40,000 youth of Jammu and Kashmir in police and other forces. But despite all these assurances, there has been a change on the ground and all the promises have fallen flat.
When GC Murmu took over as the first Lt governor of Jammu and Kashmir, he had promised that a process was underway to provide jobs to 30,000-40,000 youth of Jammu and Kashmir in police and other forces. But despite all these assurances, there has been a change on the ground and all the promises have fallen flat
“First they robbed us of our identity which was guaranteed to people of Jammu and Kashmir under the constitution of India. Then they promised the job packages, but except betrayals, we have got nothing. The situation today is grim, both politically and economically,” said a political analyst, who wished not to be named.
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