Editor,
Every year, thousands of educated and unemployed youths of Arunachal Pradesh pin their hopes on the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swalamban Yojana (DDUSY), a scheme envisioned to provide financial assistance and support for setting up new ventures, encouraging entrepreneurship, and creating self-employment opportunities.
The Government of Arunachal Pradesh has invested crores of public money in this noble initiative, with the stated aim of empowering youths and reducing unemployment.
Yet, on the ground, the reality paints a very different picture.
Across districts, educated and unemployed youths spend their hard-earned savings preparing detailed project reports (DPRs), often through professional chartered accountants, investing both money and effort. Many even undergo rigorous preparations to present their ideas convincingly during interviews. But despite these sacrifices, a disheartening trend has emerged: the benefits of the scheme are not reaching the truly deserving unemployed youths.
It is widely perceived that the selection process is not always based on merit or innovation. Instead, pre-selection through political connections, recommendations, or influence from certain quarters has created a sense of hopelessness among genuine applicants.
Many young people, who neither have political connections nor the means to ‘network’ with decision-makers, are left out year after year despite submitting strong proposals.
If such practices persist, where is the scope for meritocracy? How can this scheme fulfill its purpose if the very group it was meant to uplift – the unemployed and aspiring youths -remains excluded?
Another major concern lies in the definition of ‘youth beneficiaries’. In some cases, individuals who are already well-settled, financially secure, and over 50 years of age have been selected as beneficiaries. Some even own businesses or significant assets. While their contribution to society is respected, the fundamental question arises: can they truly be counted as ‘unemployed youths’? If the scheme meant for unemployed youths is diverted towards already established individuals, then its very foundation is being compromised.
This is not an isolated observation. A simple cross-check of past beneficiaries’ profiles reveals gaps and raises serious questions about fairness. If corrective measures are not taken, the same outcome will repeat in the upcoming selection process, leaving genuine aspirants disillusioned and wasting more precious years of their lives.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu has often spoken about youth development, entrepreneurship, and empowering the next generation. We, the youths of the state, sincerely appeal to him to take strict measures to ensure that this scheme is implemented transparently, fairly, and strictly according to its objectives. If needed, independent monitoring and a public audit of beneficiaries’ backgrounds should be undertaken.
Some possible reforms could include:
# Strict beneficiary criteria: Limiting eligibility to unemployed youths within a defined age group, with no existing established businesses.
# Transparent selection process: Selection based solely on merit, innovation, and feasibility of the business idea, with evaluation by independent experts rather than political recommendation.
# Public disclosure: Publishing beneficiary lists along with project details for transparency and accountability.
# Support for unsuccessful applicants: Providing mentorship or guidance to improve their proposals for the next round, so their efforts and investments don’t go entirely wasted.
The spirit of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swalamban Yojana is noble and much-needed. But unless reforms are urgently undertaken, the scheme risks losing its credibility and purpose while the aspirations of our state’s youths continue to be crushed under the weight of favoritism.
Our request is simple: let this scheme truly become a beacon of hope for the thousands of unemployed, educated, and talented youths of Arunachal, not just a privilege for the connected few.
Only then will the crores of public money invested yield the results that our state truly needs – innovation, employment generation, and a brighter future for our youths.
Khyoda Appang,
Dokum Colony, Itanagar