Centre to impart skill training to 50,000 youth in J&K

The Centre has set a target to train 50,000 youth from Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Minister's skill development programme in the next 11 years, union minister for sports Ajay Maken has said.

"Under Prime Minister's skill development programme, there is a target to make 50,000 youth in the state skilled up to 2022," Maken said at a function in Pampore, 16 kms from here in south Kashmir, yesterday.

He said out of 20,000 Nehru Yuva Corps volunteers throughout country, 8,000 volunteers alone have been appointed in Jammu and Kashmir on the special instructions of Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh.

The youth population ratio in India is the highest but the percentage of skilled youth is less, the minister said, adding the Central government has started a comprehensive skill development programme to utilise potential of the youth.

"The biggest challenge is to give these volunteers such kind of skill development training that after availing two years in these centres, they should earn livelihood with

honour," Maken said.

He said the volunteers presently are being given training to create awareness among the people about adventure tourism, rural development and the Panchayats.

 
Describing Kashmir 'a paradise on earth', Maken said every person who comes here for the first time, looks forward to come again and again.