Opinion | Roshan Mustaqbil Kupwara : A Youth Centre Building New Pathways

I used to visit Roshan Mustaqbil quite often, and every time I walked through its doors, I would notice something different. Sometimes it was a group of young students quietly preparing for competitive examinations, sometimes the computer lab would be busy with students learning digital skills, while the library offered a calm corner for those who simply wanted to sit down and read. What struck me most was the sense of purpose among the young people who came there. Located at Zangli in Kupwara, Roshan Mustaqbil is a youth empowerment centre run by the Indian Army’s Vajr Division, with facilities for competitive-exam preparation, digital learning, a library, tourism and hospitality training, and entrepreneurship support.

The name Roshan Mustaqbil translates roughly as “bright future,” and the centre’s work is closely tied to that idea. Run by the Indian Army’s Vajr Division, Roshan Mustaqbil was established as a youth empowerment initiative aimed at helping young people develop skills, prepare for competitive examinations and explore employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.What makes Roshan Mustaqbil notable is that it is not limited to conventional classroom education. The centre has facilities for competitive examination preparation, digital learning and computer training, as well as a library and reading room. It also provides tourism and hospitality training and has incorporated entrepreneurship support and market linkages into its activities.

The development of Roshan Mustaqbil reflects a wider shift in the way youth development is being approached in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of focusing only on academic education, the centre combines learning with practical skills and exposure to employment opportunities. REACHA, a non-profit organisation involved in implementing programmes at the centre, says its collaboration with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) began at Roshan Mustaqbil in January 2025. The programme was designed to provide youth with skill development, career counselling and livelihood opportunities. REACHA identifies the Indian Army as a key supporting partner in the initiative. Hospitality is one of the areas receiving particular attention. Training supported by IHCL has included areas such as food and beverage services and other hotel-related skills. The idea is relatively straightforward: give young people practical training that corresponds with actual industry requirements, rather than leaving them with qualifications that may not translate easily into employment.

The early results reported by REACHA provide some indication of the programme’s reach. In its review of activities for 2024–25, the organisation reported that 25 youth had completed IHCL-supported training and 12 had been placed. A separate tourism training programme supported by Kesari Tours reportedly trained 80 young people, with 43 subsequently placed. These figures are important because they shift the conversation from simply providing training to asking what happens after training. Employment, after all, is often the real test of whether a skill-development programme has made a practical difference.Another feature of Roshan Mustaqbil is its emphasis on exposure. Young people from remote areas can face a particular disadvantage when they have limited contact with industries, employers and professional environments outside their district.

REACHA says the centre has organised industry exposure visits and is working to make training more closely aligned with market requirements. Its 2026 programme plans included structured food and beverage and guest-service training, with the organisation stating that it intended to train around 200 youth during the financial year. The centre has also been used for career counselling and guidance sessions. Its social-media presence shows continuing career-oriented activities, including sessions introducing students to conventional as well as emerging career options. Such activities matter in districts where information itself can be a barrier. A student may have the ability to pursue a particular career but lack knowledge about entrance examinations, scholarships, professional courses or the skills employers are actually looking for. A career guidance facility can help close that information gap.

Employment is not the only focus. Roshan Mustaqbil has also attempted to create an environment in which young people can consider entrepreneurship.A report on the Lieutenant Governor’s October 2025 visit noted that the centre had supported entrepreneurship incubation and market linkages. The same report said the centre had contributed to the development of revenue-generating start-ups and women’s digital inclusion. This is particularly relevant in Kupwara, where local economic opportunities can be different from those available in larger urban centres. Entrepreneurship linked to tourism, hospitality, digital services and locally relevant businesses can potentially create opportunities without requiring every young person to leave the region.

In September 2025, Young Indians, in collaboration with the Indian Army’s Vajr Division, also conducted a startup mentorship programme in Kupwara. The programme included in-person mentoring at Roshan Mustaqbil, online guidance and a national showcase. Several local ventures, including Dream Cabs, Keran Lights, FLWOK and Barkat Bistro, were recognised during the initiative.

The significance of such programmes is not necessarily that every participant will become an entrepreneur. Rather, they expose young people to another possibility: employment does not always have to mean finding a job with an existing organisation. Roshan Mustaqbil’s role appears to extend beyond examinations and employment. Reports about the centre describe it as a place where sports, Kashmiri culture and contemporary interests coexist.The centre’s facilities include learning and digital spaces, while its wider activities have involved community engagement and youth-oriented programmes. Its social-media accounts also document events such as career sessions, cultural activities and sports initiatives. That broader approach is significant. Young people need spaces where they can study and develop professional skills, but they also need opportunities for interaction, creativity and confidence-building. A youth centre can become valuable precisely because it provides an environment in which these things happen together. The centre’s location also matters. Kupwara is a border district, and many of its communities are geographically distant from Kashmir’s major urban centres. Creating opportunities locally can therefore reduce some of the disadvantages associated with distance.

The progress of Roshan Mustaqbil should nevertheless be judged over time. Enrolment numbers and individual success stories are encouraging, but the longer-term measure will be whether training consistently leads to sustainable employment, successful businesses and improved access to professional opportunities.There are already signs of an effort to strengthen that connection. In February 2026, a job fair supported by the Indian Army and IHCL and implemented by REACHA was held at Hajipur Army Goodwill School in Kupwara. According to REACHA, 216 young people attended and 16 recruiters participated, with 13 employers attending in person and three joining online. Such initiatives indicate an attempt to build an ecosystem rather than operate a training centre in isolation. Training, career counselling, industry exposure, recruitment and entrepreneurship support can have a much greater impact when they are connected. Roshan Mustaqbil is therefore best understood not simply as another youth facility in Kupwara, but as an evolving experiment in connecting young people with education, skills and livelihoods. Its importance will ultimately depend on how many young people are able to turn the opportunities available there into lasting careers and independent livelihoods.

For a district where distance can sometimes translate into fewer opportunities, bringing learning, professional exposure and career support closer to young people is a meaningful step. The real promise of Roshan Mustaqbil lies not in the name itself, but in whether the young people who pass through its doors are able to build the bright future it promises.

What makes Roshan Mustaqbil notable is that it is not limited to conventional classroom education. The centre has facilities for competitive examination preparation, digital learning and computer training, as well as a library and reading room.

The centre’s location also matters. Kupwara is a border district, and many of its communities are geographically distant from Kashmir’s major urban centres. Creating opportunities locally can therefore reduce some of the disadvantages associated with distance.

In September 2025, Young Indians, in collaboration with the Indian Army’s Vajr Division, also conducted a startup mentorship programme in Kupwara. The programme included in-person mentoring at Roshan Mustaqbil, online guidance and a national showcase. Several local ventures, including Dream Cabs, Keran Lights, FLWOK and Barkat Bistro, were recognised during the initiative.

Author Tahir Majeed, previously a lawyer by profession, actively engages in public policy, research, and discourse on border tourism in the Kashmir Valley.He can be reached on lawtahirmajeed@gmail.com and on WhatsApp +91-9419912000