GUWAHATI, Jan 2 - The North East Institute of Advanced Studies (Northeast-IAS) has launched an ambitious programme named �Mission 1000�, which aims to train up 300,000 youths of Assam in five years� time by providing advanced skilled development and competitive examination training.
�Mission 1000� also targets to produce 1000 skilled-trained and competitive youths from each district of Assam, amounting to 33,000 trained up and competitive youths.
Launching �Mission 1000� recently, Vice Chairman of Assam Planning Commission Dipok Kumar Borthakur said Assam needs a comprehensive planning for youth development and �Mission 1000� is the first step in that direction.
About 40 distinguished personalities of Assam like senior journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Principal of KC Das College Hrishikesh Baruah, Rajiv Prakash Baruah, Parva Baruah, retired IAS officer Saline Nath and director of Northeast-IAS Sankar Ray attended the event.
In his opening remarks, director of Northeast-IAS Ray said the latest census of Assam (2011) reports that there are more than 1.5 million educated unemployed youths in Assam. It is further reported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (2015-16) that Assam produces approximately 2,17,652 graduates each year. At the secondary and higher secondary education levels Assam produces approximately 140,000 youths each year, which adds up to 400,000 educated youths. These are the demographic dividends and assets of Assam, Ray added.
Journalist Kashyap expressed concern that out of these 400,000 educated youths, only 20 per cent are �competitive youths�.
A set of recommendations were also derived from the deliberation and it was resolved that a systemic awareness campaign would be initiated in collaboration with the State government by organising camps, workshops or seminars in schools, colleges and universities on the different lucrative careers in the Central government departments, including skill-based training.
