'Udaan' job scheme gets a vigorous push in J&K as BJP-PDP alliance takes over

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi Government has begun a vigorous push to the corporate jobs scheme in J&K this month, coinciding with the PDP-BJP government’s take over. As many as eight mega recruitment rallies are being held all over J&K. The scheme named ‘Udaan’, originally conceived and operationalised during the UPA regime, has already helped provide jobs to 1,785 youths from J&K in Accenture, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro and nearly 5300 J&K youth are being trained by various corporates.
From March 9, the Home Ministry started what an official described was a “major step-up” in efforts to push the job scheme all over the state. “We started a mega recruitment drive from March 9 by taking corporates to the District Employment Exchange and Counseling Centres in various districts. Corporates have visited these exchanges in Budgam on March 9-10, Anantnag on March 12-13, Ganderbal on March 14-15, Baramullah on March 16-17, are visiting Doda on March 19-20 and are next headed to Kisthwar on March 21, Reasi on March 23 and Kathua on March 25-26. We are in full drive mode now,” a senior home ministry official said.



The corporates earlier visited J&K after issuance of advertisements to set up camps every two months or so “as per their convenience”, the official said. “It is now a much more sustained effort…the corporates are visiting the district employment exchanges after due tie-ups as many unemployed youth in J&K may miss recruitment camps but remain in touch with employment exchanges. These exchanges also have a ready database,” the ministry official said.

More than 54 companies have till now committed to train nearly 68738 graduates and post-graduates in J&K over the next four-five years and later offer them jobs as well if they fit the bill. The cost of the training, boarding and lodging, is borne by the central government. If a candidate is selected for a job after completing training, the government reimburses the training cost to the company. “We are still far off from the 68000-odd mark of training commitment as only 7000 youth so far are under training or have subsequently got jobs. Hence the vigorous push to Udaan now,” a official said.

ET was the first to report On November 13 last year that the Modi government was planning to expand the 'Udaan' scheme which involves taking companies beyond Srinagar to other towns and even remote locations in the state.