'Entrepreneurship fast catching up among rural youth'

Entrepreneurship is fast catching up among the rural youth though job still remains the top priority for them, reveals government data.
According to the protocol for implementation of the Centre's 'Project LIFE-MGNREGA', around 5.66 lakh youths have evinced interest to becoming entrepreneurs as against 8.10 lakh who opted for upgrading skills for suitable employment under the ambitious skill development scheme.
Around 5.66 lakh youths from 4.53 lakh households have evinced interest to becoming entrepreneurs under the 'Project for Livelihoods in Full Employment under MGNREGA (Project Life- MGNREGA)', which aims at cataylsing shift of poor household largely dependent on the rural job scheme from unskilled to skilled labour.

According to figures available with the Rural Development Ministry, job, however, still remains a top priority, though such a large number of youths seeking to become entrepreneurs could be an encouraging news for the NDA dispensation, which has been pitching for entrepreneurship for job creation.
The maximum of number of 8.10 lakh youths from 6.75 lakh households have opted for skilling to enable themselves get placed in suitable jobs. Under the scheme, around 3.10 lakh households have opted for livelihood upgradation that would lead to enhanced earning and livelihood security.
Youths seeking training in all three categories have preferred agriculture related works in comparison to other fields related to medical and nursing, business and commerce and garment making.

With an aim to promote self-reliance and improve the skill base of MGNREGA workers, the government formulated the Project for Livelihoods in Full Employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, linking the flagship rural job scheme with skill development programmes.
The project incorporates focussed convergence of resources of MGNREGA, State Rural Livelihood Missions (SLRM), Satate Nodal Skills Mission (SNSM), and Deen Dayal Upadhyaye Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDU-GKY).