Chidambaram launches industry website for J-K youth

New Delhi, Mar.26 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday launched a website called 'Udaan', for the youth of the state.

'Udaan' is an initiative undertaken by the government to provide a forum to youth in the state where they can look for jobs with in the state as well as across India.

Government has roped in several software giants, retail and marketing companies that will provide training and placement to graduates, post-graduates and degree holders.

"We are facilitating a unique program that will be run by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) together with the corporate sector, both private and public. Eight of them have signed up so far, promising training and placement to 8290 youth in J and K (Jammu and Kashmir). Four are in the software sector and couple of them is in retail," said Chidambaram.

Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir has been facing the problems of unemployment due to absence of appropriate skill sets.

"We have traditionally been grappling with two parallel problems where the youth of Jammu and Kashmir has been concerned. One is the problem of unemployment, the other is the linked problem of unemployability, even when we have created employment opportunities. The absence of relevant skill sets has meant that we haven't been able to place boys and girls to take advantage of those opportunities," said Abdullah.

Abdullah also praised the corporates who made this program possible, as their valuable support would help the unemployed youth in building their careers.

"Clearly as we are able to take schemes like 'Udaan' forward, as we are able to improve the skill set of youngsters in the state, not only would be able to find employment opportunities for them outside the state, we would also be able to take advantage of those opportunities that have been created for them with in the state that they haven't been able to take advantage of," added Abdullah.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office constituted an expert group, which was assigned the task of formulating the job plan for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposals made by the group in 2011.

Kashmir has faced a lot of troubles due to numerous militant attacks, insurgency and infiltration attempts from across the border in the last two decades, which has acted as a hurdle on the path of development.

Tens of thousands of people including youth have been killed in two decades of anti-India insurgency in Muslim-majority Kashmir, which is the bone of contention between India and Pakistan and claimed by both the nations. (ANI)