50,000 youth in Maoist-hit areas to get skill training

Reaching out to youth in Naxal-hit areas, Centre on Friday launched a placement linked skill development scheme targeting 50,000 rural men and women, mostly tribals, in 24 worst affected districts. 

Initiating the programme called ‘Roshni’, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said at least 50 per cent of the candidates covered under the scheme will be women and special efforts will be made to proactively cover particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) on a priority basis. 

Roshni will show a ‘new path’ to the youths being targeted by Maoists, the minister said. 

The three-year initiative aims at skilling and placement of 50,000 youth from 24 Naxalite-affected districts in nine states. 

The new programme drew lessons from a similar scheme being implemented in two critical left-wing extremism affected districts — West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Sukma in Chhattisgarh — and Himayat programme launched to address the needs and aspirations of the youth in Jammu and Kashmir.