Opinions | Army Goodwill Schools: In upliftment of local Children

Through operation Sadbhavana Army has established many Army Goodwill Schools across the valley which contribute tremendously towards education sector

Education plays a pivotal role in empowering the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. It equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to navigate the challenges of the modern world and make informed decisions. Quality education not only enhances their employability but also nurtures their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. To empower the youth through education, it is essential to ensure access to quality schooling and higher education. This includes improving infrastructure, providing qualified teachers, and promoting innovative teaching methods. It also involves incorporating vocational training and entrepreneurship education into the curriculum, equipping the youth with practical skills to succeed in the ever-evolving job market.
Besides Government, Army has also made contribution in Education, Women & Youth Empowerment, and Health care with simultaneous thrust on capacity building through implementation of community/infrastructure development projects. Through operation Sadbhavana Army has established many Army Goodwill Schools across the valley which contribute tremendously towards education sector . Also the Army have rendered assistance to state Government run schools by carrying out infrastructure augmentation. In order to provide opportunity to children from marginalized section of the society it has been bearing the cost of their education. A lot of students are receiving scholarships for studies in schools here and also outside the Union Territory.
Even nomadic population which lives in upper reaches during summer period is provided assistance in many ways. To ensure that children belonging to nomadic families get education Army run special “Shepherds Schools”. It has provide skill development training like operating of computers, knitting, tailoring, candle making, bag making, carpets / basket weaving, horticulture and fashion designing at various Vocational Training Centres for the women community. Un-employed youth of the Sate have also been provided with opportunities to earn livelihood. It has created awareness about job opportunities, competitive exams and eligibility criteria for seeking employment. The Army organized National Integration Tours to integrate students and opinion makers with national mainstream . These tours provide an opportunity to know the rich cultural diversity and varied traditions existing in the country. To cater for the medical requirements of inaccessible areas, a number of medical centres have been constructed. The army run hospitals are providing a wonderful assistance to the people living in remote areas. With the efforts of the Army new places are now on tourism map. In border areas of Kashmir due to lack of several facilities people living in these areas use to migrate from these areas. Large number of population have migrated from these area towards towns already for better living opportunities. Now after declaring these border areas as new tourist destinations, people have started to prefer living in these areas and have started involving themselves in tourism sector. This is one of the big and bold decision of the government that it introduced border tourism. Army have conducted big and small events at these places to attract tourists towards these destinations. I have personally visited several border areas during the current year and it gave me enough pleasure to learn that Indian Army has been always there to help local people in every respect during the time of need.
People living in these areas have started to reap the dividends of the border tourism and it is expected that tourism in these areas will change the scenario altogether. The arrival of visitors in these areas has been given a flip to the fragile economy of the border areas and credit goes to the Indian Army.
Writer can be reached on syedjahanjeeb2@gmail.com