Panel moots 'Entrepreneurship Bhagya' for unemployed SC/ST youth

There could be an 'entrepreneurship bhagya' in store for unemployed engineering and diploma graduates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

A legislature committee on the Welfare of SC/STs, which tabled its report in the Assembly on Friday, has recommended that the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) conduct interview of such graduates at the colleges, give land and infrastructural support so that they can start small-scale industries.

To this effect, the committee headed by Congress MLA K Shivamurthy Naik has asked the the KIADB to draw up an action plan to encourage unemployed ITI, diploma and engineering graduates.

"The problem of unemployment can be tackled if SC/ST students are encouraged to start their own small-scale enterprises," the committee has stated in its report.

The committee has asked the Social Welfare Department to partner with institutions that offer coaching for competitive exams conducted by the UPSC and KPSC. The panel also favours increasing the family income limit from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for selection of SC/ST students for overseas education scholarship.