– Baishali Mukherjee

Calling 2024-25 as the “Year of Youth,” Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in a recent interview with PTI had said his government is all set to take significant steps towards implementing education reforms and boost youth empowerment in order to strengthen the state’s growth and self-reliance. Accordingly, on January 9, Khandu told media that his state has achieved a major milestone in its education sector, with the state’s Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate (ANER) for elementary education reaching 100%. Additionally, the dropout rate at the secondary school level has also dropped to 11.7 percent.

Dedicating the milestone to the collective efforts of “Team Arunachal,” Khandu added that the educational developments in his state align with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also that of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

He also applauded the effective implementation of initiatives like ‘Building as Learning Aid’ and that of setting up of Eklavya Model Residential Schools, which he said have ensured better quality education and modern infrastructure to children. As per the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Scoreboard, these advancements contribute to the state’s progress toward achieving global education goals under SDG 4.

In another development on January 9, the Department of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (SDE), Honda India Foundation, and Visan Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to initiate a skilling program in the hospitality sector for the state youth, aged 18 and above. The MoU, which includes a three year agreement, is part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to promote skill development and create employment opportunities for the local youth.

As part of the program, Honda India Foundation and Visan Foundation will offer free training in the hospitality sector, while the SDE Department will look after the enrolment. Provided in two phases, the program will have a batch of 35 trainees for each module. The candidates will be enrolled for two-months training in Itanagar and Tawang with plans to expand to several other districts of the state in the coming months. Trainees will also receive stipends during the training period, funded by the SDE Department. After completing the training the candidates will be awarded with a National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT) recognized certificate and offered placements at established hotels and resorts in AP or in other states. 

Also read: Arunachal Pradesh: Advancing youth empowerment & education reforms in 2025