Udaan scheme getting very good response in J&K: Minister

The 'Udaan' programme to provide skills training to the educated unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir, has received a "very good response" from the people there, said Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde on Wednesday.

"A scheme named Udaan is going on in Kashmir. The state government, Home Ministry and our Ministry are jointly working towards implementing it.

"So far it has received a very good response from the people there," Hegde told the reporters in the sidelines of a session on 'Human Resources Development for Socio-Economic Development' here.

Asked about his Ministry's initiative to upskill the unemployed youth of Kashmir, who are getting involved in criminal activities like throwing stones at the Indian armed forces personnel, the minister said the Udaan scheme is uniquely designed for the youths of Kashmir to bring them back to the mainstream.

"It is a unique scheme for Jammu and Kashmir. It is primarily for the youths and also the people who surrender to the administration there. They are given skills training for one or two years during their rehabilitation programme," Hedge added.

However, the minister refused to comment on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the Bharatiya Janata Party pulled out of ruling coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, stating it can be best answered by the Home Ministry.

Udaan is a special industry initiative for Jammu and Kashmir in the nature of partnership between the corporates of India and Home Affairs Ministry and implemented by National Skill Development Corp.

It aims to cover 40,000 youth over a period of five years and Rs 750 crore has been earmarked for its implementation.

--IANS

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