2,215 non-Naga workforce in Mokokchung
Mokokchung, September 25 (MTNews): “The state’s resources are shrinking day by day and so are the employment opportunities in the government sector,” said Kesonyü Yhome, IAS while speaking as the guest speaker at Krüta Nousi Kehou organized by the Angami Gazetted Officers’ Krotho (AGOK) at Capital Convention Centre on 23rd September 2022.
While encouraging educated unemployed youth to pursue entrepreneurship as a career option rather than relying solely on limited government resources and saturated employment opportunities in the government sector, he stated that over 93,000 educated unemployed youth have been registered in the ‘Employment Exchange Register,’ with the actual figure potentially “doubling or even more.”
“Nagaland has more than 1.2 lakhs government employees to population ratio in the country and the entry to government services has not only become scarce but also become very competitive,” he added.
One of the striking causes for unemployment among educated youth, according to him, appears to be a strong craze solely for specific special courses such as Medicine and Engineering, aspiration/preference for white-collar jobs, lack of spirit and dignity of labor among many.
As a result of these factors, he believes that there is a considerable loss of opportunities accessible within the state. “This can be easily gauged by taking into account the number of non-Nagas employed in the unorganized and private sector in the state which otherwise could have been capitalized by the Nagas themselves,” he stated.
Yhome stated, “in order to bring a change we need to change our perspectives; unless we change our perspectives we will remain as it is today even in the coming days.”
According to a survey, there were 13,000 business establishments/units by both Nagas and non-Nagas in three district headquarters alone; approximately 45,815 non-Nagas earned a living with annual revenue of Rs. 450 Crores, he said.
The survey also revealed that with 32,700 people, Dimapur had the greatest non-Naga workforce, followed by Kohima with 10,900, and Mokokchung with 2,215 non-Nagas. Construction had the biggest concentration of non-Naga workers, followed by the loading and unloading of cargo at godowns, bus stops, and train stations.
Trading and entrepreneurial activities, such as operating small shops and ancillary businesses were the third largest sector in terms of workforce employment, followed by those operating grocery and ration shops.
Kekhrievor Kevichüsa, IPoS’s Commissioner & Secretary for Industries & Commerce, claimed that despite having a strong entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneurs in the state have been failing over the years as they are unable to access the right environment, information etc.
He therefore asked AGOK members to assume responsibility for providing proper and timely information to people who are suffering or having issues with receiving the right guidance and getting the right information due to financial restrictions.
He also highlighted the importance, benefits and criteria of a scheme called ‘PMRY’ under the Department of Industries & Commerce which has been designed to provide employment to educated unemployed youth by setting up of micro-enterprises, self-employment, and ventures for industries, services etc.
Kovi Meyase, NCS, additional secretary, Department of Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship mentioned a number of initiatives for empowering youth, including industrial training institutes, the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), NEC-funded skill development programs, etc.
He advised young people who want to start businesses to take advantage of leveraging Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC) and enroll in the program for entrepreneurship development.
The youth of the state predominantly depend on the government as a source of employment, however, with the saturation of the sector and limited industrial activities, there has been a steep rise in the unemployment rate in the state, he stated. He claimed that the main cause was due to low vocational capability and inadequate infrastructure to support vocational education.
The root causes of unemployment, according to Meyase, were a lack of awareness, a lack of motivation, a lack of alternatives to employment, socio-cultural elements acting as barriers, economic considerations, policy framework, the education system, and orientation.
He advised the educated unemployed youth to pursue alternative types of employment (both wage employment and self employment) other than government jobs since the government is unable to provide employment to all the educated youth in the state.
Retd. Joint Director, Agriculture, Vizonyü Liezietsu urged the educated unemployed youth to go back to the land rather than solely depending on the government considering the present condition of the state’s economy.
In this rapidly changing environment, he emphasized the potential of Agri & Allied and how it could help one become independent.
He also cautioned against using insecticides or pesticides without first understanding their intended usage because doing so would harm the vegetation and may have long-term negative effects. Additionally, Liezietsu urged the youth to preserve language, culture and traditions as these are the inherent traits which give one’s identity.