J&K, July 26:In a significant development, Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, disclosed that more than 29,000 vacancies were filled in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Responding to a written question, Rai, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), stated that the government of Jammu and Kashmir has undertaken various governance reforms, particularly in recruitment procedures.
“Since the abrogation of Article 370, a large-scale recruitment drive has been initiated, leading to the fulfillment of 29,295 vacancies. Recruiting agencies have advertised 7,924 vacancies, with examinations conducted for 2,504 positions,” Rai mentioned. He further emphasized that the identification of vacancies and recruitment remains an ongoing and continuous process, taken up under an accelerated recruitment drive.
Additionally, Rai highlighted the government’s efforts to combat unemployment by implementing various self-employment schemes through different departments. These initiatives aim to empower individuals with sustainable income generation units by providing subsidized loans for business establishment.
When queried about the unemployment rate among educated youth in Jammu and Kashmir during April to June 2021, Rai mentioned that specific estimates were not available from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). However, data from the PLFS during July 2020 to June 2021 revealed an unemployment rate of 18.3 per cent among individuals in the 15-29 age group in J&K.
The Union Minister Nityanand Rai also highlighted that two candidates from Jammu and Kashmir, belonging to Civil Terrorist Victims, have been allocated MBBS seats from the Central Pool for the academic year 2022-23. However, he stated that there is currently no provision for fund allocation and scholarships for such candidates.
These developments underscore the government’s commitment to address the employment needs of the region post the Article 370 abrogation. The continuous recruitment drive and focus on self-employment schemes aim to bolster economic growth and alleviate unemployment challenges in Jammu and Kashmir.
