The Angami Gazetted Officers’ Krotho (AGOK) organized Krüta Nousi Kehou at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima on 23 September.

The organization along with its units – SAGOK, NAGOK, WAGOK & CGOK – and the Village Level Officers’ Krotho held the programme to uphold AGOK’s motto ‘U Themia Dzevi’.

The programme aimed to encourage educated unemployed youth to take up entrepreneurship as a career rather than solely depending on the limited government resources and saturated employment opportunities in the government sector.

Working towards spreading awareness among the educated unemployed youth at the grassroots level, the programme was organized along with all Kicha/Rüna office bearers.

The programme was attended by AHODs, HODs and other well-wishers.

Krüta Nousi Kehou featured four speakers from different government departments – three in service, one retired – to offer their perspectives, provide information on alternate forms of employment, and encourage the youths.

Kesonyü Yhome: preferences for white-collared/government jobs lead to a significant loss of opportunities available within the state

Kesonyü Yhome, IAS, Secretary, Works and Housing, spoke on the occasion as the Guest Speaker. He said the resources of the state are decreasing progressively and along with that, the employment opportunities in the government sector.

Over 93,000 educated unemployed youth have been registered in the Employment Exchange Register and the actual figure could be double or even more, Yhome stated.

He added that 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 very competitive.

Yhome attributed some of the main reasons for youth unemployment to be, among others, the strong preference given only for certain special fields such as medicine and engineering, the aspirations set only for white-collared jobs/government service, and the lack of spirit for dignity of labour.

These preferences result in a significant loss of opportunities which are available within the state, he said, adding that 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.

As per survey results, there are 13,000 business establishments/units by both Nagas and non-Nagas in three district headquarters alone and about 45,815 non-Nagas earning a livelihood with an annual income of Rs 450 Crores.

Dimapur had the largest non-Naga workforce with 32,700 people followed by Kohima with a workforce of 10,900 and Mokokchung with a workforce of 2,215 non-Nagas.

The construction sector employed the highest number of non-Nagas followed by loading and unloading of goods in railways stations, bus stations and godowns. The third largest employment sector was in trading and entrepreneurial activities such as running of small shops and ancillary business followed by those running groceries and ration shops.

“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,” the secretary of Works and Housing said.

Kekhrievor Kevichüsa: benefits of PMRY scheme to help youths set up micro-enterprises

Kekhrievor Kevichüsa, IPoS, Commissioner & Secretary, Industries & Commerce, said while the entrepreneurial spirit in Nagas is very strong, the entrepreneurs in the state have been failing over the years as they are unable to access the right environment and information.

He urged AGOK members to take the responsibility in disseminating proper and timely information to those facing problems in terms of financial constraints, accessing the right guidance or getting the right information.

Kevichüsa also highlighted the importance, benefits and criteria of the PMRY scheme under the Department of Industries & Commerce. PMRY has been designed to provide employment to educated unemployed youth by helping them set micro-enterprises and other self-employment ventures for industries and services.

Kovi Meyase: aspiring entrepreneurs should take advantage of the Leveraging Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC)  

Kovi Meyase, NCS, Additional Secretary, Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, mentioned some of the programs under the Department of Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship for skill development – Industrial Training Institutes, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), NEC funded skill development programmes and others.

Meyase said youths aspiring to set up enterprises should take advantage of the Leveraging Entrepreneurship Development Center (EDC) and avail the Entrepreneurship Development Programme which will cover 60 candidates.

The youth of the state predominantly depend on the government as a source of employment but with the saturation of the sector and limited industrial activities, there has been a steep rise in the unemployment rate in the state, Meyase said.

The additional secretary said unemployment was mainly due to low vocational capability and inadequate infrastructure to support vocational education. Lack of awareness and motivation, alternative employment opportunities, socio-cultural factors as inhibitors, economic factors, policy framework, education system and orientation were the root causes of unemployment, Meyase said.

Stating that a change of mindset is the need of the hour, he urged the educated unemployed youths to take up alternate forms of employment (both wage and self employment) in place of government jobs.

Vizonyü Liezietsu: the scope and prospects of Agri and Allied sectors

Vizonyü Liezietsu, Retd Joint Director, Agriculture urged the educated unemployed youths to go back to the land rather than solely depending on the government considering the present condition of the state’s economy.

He highlighted the scope and prospects of Agri and Allied sectors which would help one to become self- reliant in a fast-changing world.

Pointed out there was sufficient food and vegetables for personal consumption but not enough for commercial purposes, he put special emphasis on the importance and benefits of commercialization of crops using various methods at different seasons.

The retired joint director of agriculture also warned on the dangers of using insecticides or pesticides without proper awareness. These can not only hamper our vegetation but also have future repercussions on our health, he said.

On the occasion, Liezietsu also appealed to the members to preserve their dialect, culture and traditions as these are the inherent traits of one’s identity.