SRINAGAR: More than 11,000 youth have secured government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir through the Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Services Selection Board (JKSSB) in the past two years, even as the administration has expanded skill-building and entrepreneurship initiatives to address unemployment in a “multi-dimensional” manner.
Official data placed before the Legislative Assembly shows that during 2024, a total of 7,782 appointments were made — 5,653 through the JKSSB and 1,095 through the JKPSC, while 1,034 candidates were appointed on compassionate grounds. In 2025, up to mid-October, 3,319 more appointments have been finalised, including 2,025 by JKSSB and 285 by JKPSC, besides 1,009 compassionate appointments.
In addition, recruitment processes have been initiated for 3,478 constable posts under the Police Department, 61 posts in the Home Department, 621 in the Health and Medical Education Department, 351 clerical posts, and 107 driver positions across various departments.
The Government said the drive to tackle unemployment is being implemented through a mix of public recruitment, entrepreneurship support, and skill development under Mission YUVA, Mission Youth, and several Central and State-backed employment schemes.
Under Mission YUVA — the Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan — the Government conducted a comprehensive household survey in January 2025 covering 23.64 lakh households and identifying 4.73 lakh individuals willing to work but currently unemployed. This exercise, officials said, forms the baseline for a new phase of targeted entrepreneurship development.
The administration has also rolled out extensive outreach through the Udyam Jagriti Abhiyan to promote awareness about self-employment avenues among college students, Self-Help Groups, and existing entrepreneurs. Across the Union Territory, 20 Small Business Development Units and 81 Business Help Desks have been established, supported by a network of “Yuva Doots” working at the panchayat and ward levels to guide young entrepreneurs.
The Mission YUVA app and online portal now allow youth to apply for credit under three schemes — for nano enterprises, existing enterprises, and new ventures in focus sectors — with 88,000 applications initiated so far. Of these, 6,977 have been processed and 7,077 sanctioned by banks in both divisions.
In terms of training, 30,000 youth were trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) last year, while 1.3 lakh artisans aged between 18 and 49 years received re-skilling support under the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme, including toolkits and financial assistance. Around 8,900 artisans have availed credit up to Rs 1 lakh each, and Jammu and Kashmir ranked second nationally in implementation of the Vishwakarma scheme.
Under the women-focused Tejaswini initiative, thousands of women have been supported to start small enterprises, while 7,851 Self-Help Group members were trained in five phases for microenterprise development.
The administration said that in addition to job fairs, which connected thousands of job seekers with employers, 1,537 youth secured on-spot placements. The Jammu and Kashmir Employment Portal has been made operational for transparent online registration and job matching.
The Government said that during 2024–25 alone, 5,500 youth were employed under industrial sector schemes, 48,157 under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and 5,820 under the Rural Employment Guarantee framework.
Officials said the combined effect of large-scale training, enterprise promotion, and direct recruitment was beginning to show in both employment generation and private-sector engagement. However, they acknowledged that sustained momentum would depend on long-term credit access, skill alignment with industry, and continued support for entrepreneurship-led job creation.
