SELF EMPLOYMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF YOUTHS THROUGH HANDLOOM WEAVING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NER

Bijit Debbarma; Dr. Kiran Sankar Chakraborty

Volume : IX, Issue : III, March - 2020

SELF EMPLOYMENT AND EMPOWERMENT OF YOUTHS THROUGH HANDLOOM WEAVING WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NER

Bijit Debbarma, Dr. Kiran Sankar Chakraborty

Abstract :

With the dwindling employment opportunities in government as well as other sectors, there is a prominent rise in unemployment and underemployment in the country. The youths of the North–eastern region too are experiencing the same and though there is out–migration in other prominent states of the country, the probability of gainful employment is less. Most end up being underemployed. Handloom weaving used to be a traditional occupation for the people of the North–eastern region of India. Out of the 25 lakhs weaver household covered in fourth handloom census 2019–20, four states comprises of 18 lakhs weaver households, two (Assam & Manipur) are from North East Region (NER). The cooperative societies dominate the non–household handloom units, and it has been identified that 2 (Assam & Nagaland) out of the 5 dominant states having cooperative societies are from the North–eastern region of India. The handloom sector provides the immense potential to generate sustainable livelihood to youths of NER. With an increase in focus of the Government in this sector for promotion of handloom products and different schemes like skill upgradation, cluster approach, and financial incentives, would provide youths in finding an opportunity of becoming empowered through self–employment and uplifting lives of the community and society and finally contributing to the economy of the region.