Huge number of postgraduates register as ‘unemployed’ in state

The staggering number of ‘unemployed’ postgraduates in conflict-ridden Jammu and Kashmir has exposed the gravity of the situation as more than 1.2 lakh youths have registered themselves with the district employment and counselling centres in only 10 days.

According to the state employment department, which started the process of registering the unemployed postgraduates, over 1.2 lakh youths, who possess postgraduate or higher degrees, have registered themselves with the department. The last date for registration is July 22.

This is first-of-its-kind exercise in the state to have an “exact database of highly qualified persons, including postgraduate, MPhil and PhD degree holders”, because the government had never compiled the specific data of unemployed postgraduate men and women.

Last time, the government had held voluntary registration of unemployed youth in 2009. Thereafter, the then National Conference-led coalition government, headed by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had started the much-touted state policy on employment — Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Policy for Youth — with an aim to provide jobs to the unemployed educated youth of the state. Official sources said the state government wanted to have a comprehensive employment policy for the youths who were not “suitably employed”.

“The government is definitely working on some policy decision with regard to high unemployment among the highly qualified youths of the state. The compilation of the data will definitely help the authorities to chalk out a strategy to deal with the gigantic problem of unemployment,” sources said.

Deputy Director, Employment (Central), Shahid Mehmood said: “So far, more than 1.2 lakh postgraduate youths have registered themselves at district employment and counselling centres. The number will further swell as the last date for registration is July 22.” Mehmood said the process of data collection had been launched following government directions. The state government does not have any employment policy to address growing unemployment. It does not even have a ‘real, sound and dependable database’ of the exact number of unemployed educated and uneducated youths in the state. Till date, the state had over 82,000 registered, unemployed, educated and uneducated youths (including Class X and XII passouts, undergraduates and postgraduates) apart from around 2 lakh unorganised workers and 55,000 youth registered under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan scheme.

Source:  The Tribune

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