2022 a year of hope for youth of Bundelkhand

Pandemic-induced lockdowns have battered the Indian economy for the last 18 months and it has clearly impacted employment. As per the estimates of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) the unemployment rate in India rose to 7.9 per cent in December 2021 as compared to 7 per cent in November. More than six million salaried people lost their jobs in November due to Covid in India. Indian economy is suffering from an increase in the unemployment rate combined with an inflationary rate of nearly 5 percent. Inflation seems poised to rise in the short run but nothing seems to suggest that the unemployment rate would climb down commensurately.

Unlike, USA and other countries, where the great resignation is revolutionising the jobs market, India is facing a huge population that is pressing for employment. . In 2019-20, India employed 408.9 million, but since the pandemic, the number has come down to 406 million. And this does not augur well for the nation that boasts of a home to a fifth of the world’s youth, and the largest young workforce. To absorb such a large workforce, the country will have to generate viable employment opportunities for its young people.

Now coming to the heart of Incredible India, Madhya Pradesh, the data is alarming. According to the economic survey report of 2020-21, the state has registered more than 30 lakh jobless people. It is estimated that between 2016 and 2026 there will be an addition of 0.4 million people in the age group of 15–29 and another 7.2 million in the age group of 30–59 years. With more than half of the population still below 30 years in 2026, Madhya Pradesh could reap the benefits of the demographic dividend by investing in its youth and enhancing their employability.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh is focusing on opportunities to create jobs for youth. He has formed a special committee for industrial investment promotion and is meeting investors regularly in Madhya Pradesh. The state government is taking steps to organize employment fairs in every district and self-employment schemes are being operated, such as the “Udyam Kranti Yojna” which will offer one to fifty lakh loans of which 3% interest subsidy will be given by the government.

On January 12, CM Chouhan has planned a state wide employment drive aiming to provide jobs to around 3 lakh youths with a volley of schemes and projects. The government is aspiring for unparalleled industrial development and first of kind projects in Madhya Pradesh.

One of the biggest catalyst for the same is futuristic Bunder Diamond Project in Chhatarpur that holds a promise to contribute more than Rs 28,000 crores to the government exchequer and economic activities to about Rs 40,000 crores besides providing employment opportunities to the local youth in the Bundelkhand region.

Private participation in the development of Madhya Pradesh, rich in natural resources, fuels, minerals, agriculture, and biodiversity—is vital for the state’s economy. The state is rich in minerals and has the highest limestone, diamond, gold and copper reserves in India, notwithstanding noteworthy reserves of coal, coal-bed methane, manganese, and dolomite. The Madhya Pradesh government recently issued papers for auctioning 21 mining blocks of such minerals.

Bunder Diamond Project – Harbinger of transformation for Madhya Pradesh

First of its kind, Greenfield Diamond Mining Project has the potential to become one of the largest diamond mines in the Asian region which will eventually put the state of Madhya Pradesh on the global map. Bunder diamond pocket promises benefit and create job opportunities for the well-known Bundelkhandi’s.

As of now, 14 out of 15 diamonds are being cut and polished in India and mostly in Surat, with the Bunder Diamond Project, the state government could generate employment for hundreds of youth in the vicinity of its mining districts of the Bundelkhand region. MP could replicate Surat in Gujarat in terms of its capacity to skill and train its youth for the diamond polishing industry.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the annual review of mines and minerals department of the state said minerals sources are vital for employment and revenues for the state. Khajuraho being already in the global list of iconic sites the state government is already mulling to launch a new diamond auction center in Khajuraho, a global diamantaire attraction.

2022 the year of a new beginning

Young people have suffered the most during the pandemic due to unemployment and social restrictions. On the occasion of National Youth Day, authorities must focus on the barriers caused during the pandemic, address and navigate critical challenges of young Indians. With Ken-Betwa interlinking project clearing the coast and Bunder Diamond project bringing new prosperity to the Bundelkhand, 2022 could be the year of a new beginning for MP, a ray of hope for the youth in this region.