Says “Platform to provide tailored schemes, Counselling, Skills , Career Pathways to youth”
Srinagar : In a major initiative aimed at harnessing the potential of the youth and creating a unified ecosystem for their engagement, empowerment and development an ambitious Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) is set to be rolled out soon by the Planning Development & Monitoring Department (PD&MD) across the districts of J&K.
The implementation of the programme was today reviewed by the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo in a meeting attended by Principal Secretary, Home; Principal Secretary, Culture; Commissioner Secretary, Planning; Commissioner Secretary, GAD; Commissioner Secretary, School and Higher Education Departments; Commissioner Secretary, YS&S; Secretary, RDD; Secretary, SDD; Secretary, Floriculture; MD, HADP; Director, EDI and Special Secretary, Planning (Nodal Officer YEP) along with other concerned officers.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir and Deputy Commissioners attended the meeting through video conferencing.
During the presentation Chief Secretary thoroughly reviewed Youth Empowerment Portal (YEP) currently under development, which aims to provide a comprehensive range of services to registered youth in the Union Territory (UT). He commended the department for creating an interactive platform tailored for the youth. The portal includes a dedicated interface for government departments and Deputy Commissioners, facilitating the creation of action plans, approval processes, and documentation of activities through multimedia uploads. Commissioner Secretary R. Alice Vaz described the YEP as a pioneering integrated digital platform designed to connect youth aged 15 to 35 across all 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir with various career opportunities, services, and skill development initiatives. The program seeks to empower youth regardless of their social, economic, or geographical backgrounds by consolidating services from over 18 government departments into a single, transparent, and efficient framework. Nodal Officer Dr. Owais Ahmad highlighted that registered youth would receive personalized recommendations for government schemes and programs based on psychometric assessments that evaluate their aptitudes and interests. The initiative aims to engage youth in nation-building and community development through active participation in social service campaigns and awareness drives, fostering socially responsible leadership. The YEP will also feature an AI-enabled chatbot, the YEP Assistant, which will provide guidance and support in multiple languages, helping youth navigate challenges and access relevant services. The portal has integrated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to allow eligible youth to apply for various schemes directly, eliminating the need for multiple registrations. Additionally, a mobile application for both Android and iOS is being developed to ensure accessibility to services and resources, even in remote areas, with offline functionality. The immediate implementation roadmap includes security audits, OTP integration, and the establishment of a Programme Management Unit (PMU), with future phases focusing on advanced analytics and AI enhancements. The meeting underscored the significance of the Youth Empowerment Programme as a transformative initiative aimed at establishing a unified, technology-driven framework for youth development in Jammu & Kashmir, encapsulated in the vision of “One Platform, One Generation, One State.”
