Srinagar, May 19: The Planning, Development & Monitoring Department (PD&MD) is set to roll out an ambitious Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) across Jammu and Kashmir aimed at creating a unified digital ecosystem for youth engagement, empowerment, and development.

The initiative was reviewed by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo in a high-level meeting attended by senior administrative and departmental officers, including Principal Secretaries and Commissioners from key departments. Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners joined the meeting virtually.
During the review, the Chief Secretary examined the YEP digital portal and appreciated the initiative as a robust, first-of-its-kind platform designed to connect youth with career opportunities, skill development programmes, counselling services, and participatory governance mechanisms.
Officials said the platform will integrate more than 18 government departments, offering a single-window system for schemes, services, and opportunities, ensuring convergence, transparency, and efficient delivery across all 20 districts of the Union Territory.
Commissioner Secretary PD&MD R. Alice Vaz said the programme targets youth aged 15 to 35 years and aims to map their aspirations through psychometric assessments, enabling personalized recommendations for schemes, training, and career pathways.
The platform will also encourage youth participation in social and community development initiatives, including awareness campaigns and the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan, fostering socially responsible leadership.
Nodal Officer Dr Owais Ahmad highlighted that the system will feature an AI-enabled YEP Assistant to provide multilingual guidance, counselling, and support, along with access to government schemes and opportunities.
Officials further informed that API integration has been developed to allow direct online applications for multiple schemes without separate registrations. A dedicated mobile application for Android and iOS is also under development, featuring offline functionality for remote areas.
The roadmap includes security audits, departmental onboarding, establishment of a Programme Management Unit, and phased rollout of advanced features such as DigiLocker integration and AI-based analytics.
The meeting emphasized that the YEP will serve as a landmark initiative to build a unified, technology-driven youth development framework under the vision of “One Platform, One Generation, One State.”