Bhadarwah, Jun 8: In a major push towards youth empowerment and socio-economic advancement, the Department of Social Welfare Doda on Monday organised a mega career counselling and awareness programme under the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) at PM SHRI Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Bhalra here.
The initiative, aimed at bridging the gap between rural youth and government welfare schemes, saw multi-departmental collaboration involving J&K Bank, Agriculture, Sheep Husbandry, Rural Development, Mission YUVA and the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) among others.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from hundreds of students, NCC cadets, local residents and faculty members who were sensitized about various self-employment avenues, vocational training and financial assistance models.
Highlighting the core objectives of the scheme, Associate NCC Officer Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Koul, who also delivered the welcome address, urged the youth to proactively leverage these state sponsored initiatives.
“This programme is a pivotal step towards educational and professional growth. Students and NCC cadets must step forward to avail themselves of the immense opportunities being provided across different sectors for their socio-economic upliftment,” Dr. Koul said.
During the technical sessions, resource persons and domain experts from the participating line departments held interactive sessions with the participants.
Officials including Tehsil Social Welfare Officer (TSWO) Shahnawaz Ahmed, alongside experts from agriculture and veterinary sciences, delved into banking literacy, entrepreneurship setups, livestock development and skill-upgradation modules. The experts directly addressed queries from local residents and students regarding career prospects and government subsidies.
Lauding the joint administrative effort, the Principal of PM SHRI GHSS Bhalra Asha Bhalwal, emphasized the long-term impact of such grassroots outreach programmes.
“Such initiatives are crucial to empower our youth and foster informed decision-making at an early stage. We are grateful to the Social Welfare Department and all participating line departments for bringing valuable insights directly to our students and the local community,” the Principal stated.
The event, seamlessly coordinated at the institutional level under the guidance of the school administration, concluded with a collective commitment from stakeholders to ensure the benefits of the PM-AJAY scheme permeate effectively to the targeted segments of society.
