Dr AsangbaTzudir
Nagaland stands at a crossroads today. On one hand the state is blessed with rich cultural heritage, natural resources, and a young population, while on the other, it is grappling with one of the most pressing challenges —unemployment. The situation is fast becoming a crisis, demanding urgent attention from both the government and society, and very rightly the issue of unemployment is one of the key topic of discussion during the ongoing 7th Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
The problem of unemployment compounds every year where thousands of graduates step out of colleges and universities only to find themselves unemployed. Even today, government sector is seen as the most secure and respected option though the state govt. can only absorb so many. Even without considering the ratio between educated unemployed youths in the state and the number of vacancies, it is still very limited, and the current employment scenario is such that it is not under employed. The limited vacancies within a growing number of aspirants only makes the aspirants disappointed. Besides, the crisis is also deepened by 'educated unemployables' where on one hand they find it difficult to compete and which is also worsened by lack of any skills.
Opportunities in the private sector, which could have eased the burden still remain negligible. The equation will not change unless Nagaland's industrial base grows. While other states economy is driven by large-scale industries and service hubs, they are missing in Nagaland. So, Nagaland’s economy is heavily dependent on small businesses, agriculture, and informal work. Yet, these sectors face a lot of obstacles starting with poor infrastructure, inadequate market linkages, and lack of investment, and which will only deepen the unemployment crisis.
Though, a lot of emphasis is given on skilling, it still remains a major concern because of the skills and education mismatch. Yes, Nagaland may boast of a high literacy rate, literacy alone does not guarantee employability. And the age of technology students that spend more time on screen than on studies and skilling will only result in producing more 'educated unemployables.' Many youths hold degrees but lack technical or vocational training that present day jobs demand.
The entrepreneurial spirit in the few enterprising Naga minds is also being stifled. There are many young people who have the creativity and ambition to start their own ventures, but find themselves confronted by challenges of limited access to credit, bureaucratic hurdles, and poor support systems including market linkages.
The consequences of unemployment is being felt. While unemployment crisis are not limited to the economy, the prolonged joblessness will only lead to frustration, despair, and the larger social unrest leading to instability and stagnation. Unless the unemployment scenario changes, Nagaland is heading towards such a future.
As such, the situation demands bold and practical solutions. And having reached a saturation point, the govt. must divert from creating government jobs towards fostering a diversified economy and also ease the dependency syndrome. Sectors such as agro-based industries, eco-tourism, handicrafts, and information technology hold enormous potential. With proper investment, policy support, and infrastructure, and which can really work on the cost effectiveness, they can generate sustainable employment.
While Skill development must be given top priority, vocational training centres, IT hubs, and entrepreneurship incubation centres needs greater expansion for greater economic growth. However, both education and skilling needs to be sincerely pursued because it has become a lifeline.
Nagaland’s youth are its greatest asset and given the right opportunities, their energy, creativity, and resilience can transform the state’s economic landscape. Considering the urgency and criticality of the issues associated with unemployment it is time for envisioning as well as translating the vision into action.
Dr AsangbaTzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com).
