1. Introduction: Recent national statistics suggest that Jammu & Kashmir is struggling with high unemployment. This is largely due to the absence of a vibrant private sector. The state economy is heavily dependent on the government sector, with the majority of job seekers competing for a limited number of government positions. The fact of the matter is, the government sector can only absorb a small fraction of the growing workforce, leaving a vast number of educated youth unemployed or underemployed. Besides those who do find employment in the government sector, a big number work in non-government (private) organizations such as educational institutions. However, the salary structure in these organizations is alarmingly low, often ranging between ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month, which is far from sufficient for a dignified livelihood. This issue has forced many highly qualified individuals—graduates, postgraduates, and even PhD holders—to either leave the region in search of better opportunities or continue working for insignificant wages with no financial security. To address this pressing issue, a co-financing model can be a game-changer. The government of J&K must introduce a co-financing bill in the coming assembly session with special financial assistance from centre. The bill (a policy document) should have the aim to incentivize private-sector employers by sharing the financial burden of salaries. The core idea of this policy should be to co-finance private-sector jobs, ensuring that teachers and other private-sector employees receive fair and competitive wages.
2. Objectives of the Policy: This proposed co-financing policy can have the objectives that shall ensure the integration of private sector jobs into more sought-after and lucrative ones, thus dispelling the notion that only government sector jobs are better and safer. Among other objectives, the first and foremost should be mainstreaming private-sector teachers by ensuring they receive salaries at par or even better than government teachers. Another objective should be reducing the unemployment and underemployment figures by incentivizing private sector employers to hire more qualified individuals. These objectives can be fully achieved by ensuring a fair, transparent, and merit-based recruitment process in private educational institutions. Further, encouraging the periodic salary increments based on experience and performance. Simultaneously, after a couple of years, this policy can be extended beyond the education sector to other private-sector industries such as healthcare, IT, tourism, and manufacturing. Ultimately, this policy should ensure the strengthening of the overall economy by retaining skilled professionals within J&K instead of forcing them to migrate to other states.
3. The Problem: Low Salaries & Unstable Employment in Private Education: After the government sector, the private education sector in J&K has become the largest private employer, absorbing thousands of teachers in private schools, colleges, and coaching institutes. However, unlike government employees, these teachers lack financial stability and job security. The key issues they face include that, most private school teachers earn between ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month, which is far below a liveable wage. Unlike government teachers, private teachers do not receive periodic salary hikes or promotions. Many teachers are hired and fired arbitrarily, with no contractual protection. School management decides salaries based on preferences and personal connections rather than merit, leading to discrimination and favoritism.
4. The Solution: Co-Financing with Government Support: To resolve this crisis, the government must support private employers in providing fair salaries. This co-financing model proposes matching the salaries paid by private educational institutions, ensuring dignified wages and financial security for teachers. To structure financial support effectively, private schools can be classified into four (less or more) categories based on their salary-paying capacity, infrastructure, result outcomes, and any other parameter. The table below can be taken as a model for this purpose. For categorization, the school education department may frame the parameters/criteria. Periodical reviews can further ensure that schools remain committed to improving their rank in the category.
Private School Category Monthly salary paid by school, INR Government contribution Total salary after co-financing
A 12000 12000 24000
B 13000-20000 13000-20000 26000-40000
C 21000-30000 21000-30000 42000-60000
D 31000- and above 31000-and above 62000-and above
This co-financing model ensures that even teachers working in the lowest-paying private schools earn a respectable salary. The government’s financial burden will be reduced as this policy requires only partial salary (50%) support rather than full employment costs.
“By co-financing salaries in private sector institutions, the government can ensure fair wages, job stability, and economic growth. This policy, if implemented, will not be just about employment generation—it will be about building a self-sufficient, progressive, and economically stable Jammu & Kashmir. The governments at center and state must act swiftly to implement this framework, securing the future of thousands of educated youth. Alone, ensuring that this co-financing policy will convert J&K into a hub of sustainable and prosperous private sector.”
5. Recruitment & Selection Process: To ensure merit-based hiring, the recruitment process must be standardized in private sector organizations. A government-monitored selection board or a centralized selection committee shall oversee the hiring process in private institutions benefiting from the co-financing scheme. Candidates must be selected based on qualifications, teaching experience, and professional assessments. This mechanism will ensure that only competent and qualified educators benefit from the scheme, ultimately leading to higher education standards.
6. Expansion Beyond Education Sector: While the primary focus should be on private educational institutions, this model can be scaled to other industries, such as healthcare institutions, tourism and hospitality, and manufacturing and skilled trade sectors. Many private hospitals and clinics struggle to offer competitive salaries to doctors and paramedics. A government-supported salary model can boost employment in IT firms and encourage entrepreneurship. The tourism sector employs thousands of workers who could benefit from structured wage support. Expanding wage support to small-scale industries can create sustainable employment. By gradually expanding the co-financing framework to these and other sectors/industries, J&K can reduce unemployment by over 90% and build a self-reliant economy.
7. Expected Impact Of The Policy: If implemented effectively, the co-financing model will have far-reaching positive effects. The short-term benefits may be less. At least 50% of private-sector teachers will receive salary benefits. A significant reduction in teacher migration from J&K to other states will be visible, and increased economic stability for thousands of families can be ensured.
The long-term benefits will change the unemployment crisis forever. The overall unemployment rate may drop below 5%. The education sector will be professionalized, leading to higher learning outcomes for students. J&K will attract new industries, reducing over-reliance on government jobs. The private sector will expand, creating thousands of sustainable jobs.
8. Rules, regulations, Criteria: All the existing rules, regulations, and criteria for advertisement, evaluation, selection, and other processes involved in the government school education department and other departments, or with little modifications in them, shall govern this game-changing policy.
9. Conclusion: The co-financing policy can prove to be a transformational policy that can solve J&K’s unemployment and underemployment crisis. By co-financing salaries in private sector institutions, the government can ensure fair wages, job stability, and economic growth. This policy, if implemented, will not be just about employment generation—it will be about building a self-sufficient, progressive, and economically stable Jammu & Kashmir. The governments at center and state must act swiftly to implement this framework, securing the future of thousands of educated youth. Alone, ensuring that this co-financing policy will convert J&K into a hub of sustainable and prosperous private sector.
(The author a freelancer is also teacher and a researcher based in Gowhar Pora Chadoora. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Dr. Ashraf Zainabi
