The Rangarajan Prescription
J&KSEE
Skill, Empowerment and Employment (SEE) scheme is one of the policies that Dr C Rangarajan devised in wake of 2010 unrest as head of a special task force on Kashmir.
Placement linked and market driven, SEE is aimed at reducing unemployment among school dropouts to college educated from BPL and non-BPL categories. It offers aspirants tailor-made crash courses for salaried jobs in private sector, within and outside J&K or self-employment initiatives.
Centrally sponsored Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) was slightly amended to become the main resource base for the new initiative that would cost Rs 235.30 crore. SEE is expected to offer 100 thousand livelihoods within five years. The project is focussed particularly on districts that are disturbed or have high incidence of poverty. ILFS Skill School and Don Bosco Technology Institute are the two PIAs (programme implementing agencies) which have got the contract and are actually working. IL&FC is tasked to create 23000 livelihoods and Don Bosco has got a contract for 15000. Jairam Ramesh announced that Dr Reddy’s Foundation, Techno Pak and Hero Mind Man are the probable entrants in the field of SEE implementation.
J&KSSS
A special scholarship scheme (SSS) that would cost Rs 1200 crore in next five years, also devised by Dr Rangarajan is a merit cum means scholarship to help the youth study in institutions outside J&K. Aimed at addressing the feeling of alienation, create bonds and allow the beneficiaries to join the mainstream and become a part of India’s growth story, the plan envisages offering 5000 scholarships a year – 4500 in general degree courses, and 250 each for engineering and medical studies. Selected will get Rs 30,000 for general category courses, Rs 125 thousand for engineering and Rs 300 thousand for medical studies plus hostel fee and other incidentals worth one lakh rupees a year. Officials say it be rolled over early next year.
Special Industrial Initiative
Under this scheme also devised by Dr Rangarajan, a number of identified companies from India Inc will partner with various educational institutions in J&K and run special programmes to enhance employability for 8000 students a year for next five years. Companies and MHA will fund the Rs 1000 crore project in five years on 50:50 basis. Companies already enlisted for implementing the project include Infosys Technologies, TATA Consultancy Services, Godrej & Boyce, BILT, Crompton Greaves, Avanthe Group, Bajaj Auto, WWFI, JCB India, Tata Motors, Tata Global Beverages and Apollo Hospitals. They select on campus students, take them to their companies, train and educate them and finally employ them.
