Mir Sajjid HussainSkill Development Expert
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Once launched with much fanfare as a flagship skill development program for unemployed youth in Jammu & Kashmir, the Himayat scheme has now become a textbook example of administrative inefficiency, unchecked corruption, and betrayal of public trust. Meant to skill and place over 1 lakh youth in gainful employment, Himayat today lies in tatters – the result of systemic negligence, bureaucratic opacity, and the sidelining of honest, local stakeholders.
The Rise: A Vision for Empowerment
Introduced under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and tailored for J&K and Ladakh, Himayat aimed to provide free skill training and placement to rural youth aged 18-35. With support from the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and World Bank funding, the program envisioned social inclusion, economic growth, and a skilled workforce.
Between 2011 and 2015, over 67,000 youth were trained, with approximately 25,000 placed, as per MoRD records. However, even then, cracks began to show – low retention in jobs, poor training quality, and weak monitoring were already hampering outcomes.
The Fall: Unfolding of Irregularities
By 2018-2022, widespread irregularities surfaced. Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) manipulated placement data, enrolled ghost beneficiaries, and billed the government for nonexistent services. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated multiple probes, revealing gross misuse of public funds. According to the 2023 CAG audit, nearly ₹80 crore was misappropriated by PIAs in collusion with officials.
Yet, instead of reform, the entire scheme was abruptly frozen, stalling even the genuine work of credible agencies.
The Role of Officials: From Kapil Sharma to Sheetal Nanda
The Himayat Mission Management Unit (HMMU), under the aegis of the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM), failed spectacularly to uphold transparency.
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Kapil Sharma, former Mission Director of HMMU, oversaw a period marked by unchecked collusion between fraudulent PIAs and internal staff.
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Sheetal Nanda, Secretary, Department of Rural Development, initiated audits but fell short of decisive enforcement.
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The collapse in governance left honest applicants stranded, and corrupt players scot-free.
Collateral Damage: Honest Local Agencies Caught in the Crossfire
Amid this failure, several local, grassroots-level PIAs – NGOs and youth-led enterprises – had applied in good faith to implement the Himayat program during its 2020-2022 expansion phase.
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Each of these agencies paid the mandatory application and appraisal fee of ₹1,47,000.
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They reached the final stages, including the Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) and Executive Committee (EC).
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They followed rules, built capacity, and awaited final allotment.
Yet, after the corruption crackdown, they received no refund, no response, and no recognition.
Recent Developments: EOI for Himayat 2.0 – A Chance for Redemption?
With the recent Expression of Interest (EOI) for Himayat 2.0, led by:
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Mr. Mohammad Aijaz (IAS), Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and
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Mr. Rajneesh Gupta (JKAS), Chief Operating Officer, HMMU,
There is hope of a new beginning. However, for this version to succeed:
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Full clarity, transparency, and fairness must be ensured in evaluation and selection.
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Local, experienced skill development partners must be preferred, as they deeply understand the region’s:
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Demographics and terrain
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Aspirations and challenges
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Cultural context and ground realities
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The ₹1.47 lakh application fee paid earlier by eligible local PIAs must be either refunded or adjusted against the current EOI process.
Why Local Expertise Matters
As a matter of record, many outstationed, profit-driven PIAs who secured past projects ultimately outsourced the implementation to local agencies, turning Himayat into a commercial subcontracting business. These agencies were:
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Uninterested in meaningful employment generation
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Focused solely on project billing and target numbers
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Absent in post-placement support and retention
It is ironic – and unjust – that local actors with true commitment were sidelined, while the same corrupt national PIAs, whose operations failed, ended up subletting the work back to J&K-based partners without recognition or authority.
What Needs to Happen Now
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Honest local PIAs from earlier rounds must be reinstated or compensated.
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Fee deposits must be refunded or adjusted in the new Himayat 2.0 process.
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A grievance redressal cell should be established within JKRLM/HMMU.
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Top officers must prioritize grassroots implementation, led by trusted, on-ground partners.
A Call to Leadership
We urge Mr. Mohammad Aijaz (IAS) and Mr. Rajneesh Gupta (JKAS) to take bold steps:
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Reject commercialization and tokenism in implementation.
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Support regional partners who have walked the talk in skill development.
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Build back trust, brick by brick, starting with justice to the wronged local stakeholders.
Final Word
Himayat was a rare opportunity for inclusive development in J&K. Its failure was not due to policy – but due to misplaced priorities. With Himayat 2.0, the administration has one final chance to prove that good governance is not about contracts – it is about conscience.
Sources: MoRD DDU-GKY data portal (2019-2023), CAG Report on Skill Schemes (2023), field interviews with PIAs in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, and Jammu.
