The federal government has unveiled the Prime Minister’s Youth Development Package worth Rs150 billion, which aims to empower the country’s “biggest asset,” the youth.
At a ceremony here, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal launched 15 programs under the PM’s Youth Development Initiatives.
The 15 youth development initiatives include 60,000 paid internships, technical and vocational training for 100,000 youth, the distribution of 100,000 laptops, the provision of 5,000 scholarships for Balochistan and former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) students, around 1,000 PhD scholarships at top 100 universities in the United States, and 75 scholarships at top 25 universities worldwide.
The program also calls for the establishment of 21 university campuses in remote districts, 250 sports complexes, youth peace and development student councils in 80 universities, 75 leadership awards, 500 innovation grants worth Rs 5-20 million each, Rasta grants for research, seven centers of excellence, and the uplift of the country’s 20 poorest districts.
حکومت نے نوجوانوں کو انفارمیشن ٹیکنالوجی میں فنی مہارت مہیا کرنے کے لیے #YouthSkillsTrainingProgram کا آغاز کیا۔ آئیندہ 3 سالوں میں 100000 نوجوانوں کو جدید فنی مہارت دی جائے گی تاکہ ملک کو آنے والے دور کے تقاضوں کے مطابق ہیومن ریسورس مہیا یو۔ @betterpakistan #PM4Youth pic.twitter.com/9xg8SRLl9U
— Ministry of Planning and Development (@PlanComPakistan) March 21, 2023
“The two-third of the country’s population is based on young people who must be empowered through education and skills so that they can contribute to the socio-economic development of the country,” Professor Ahsan Iqbal said while addressing the ceremony participants.
The minister stated that Pakistan would cater to the youth bulge until 2050 because it was critical to utilize their abilities so that they could play their proper role in the national economy’s growth.
Internship Programme
The Prime Minister’s BaIkhtiyar Naujawan Internship Programme, which will award 60,000 paid internships to young graduates from across Pakistan, will assist in addressing critical entry barriers to the market and improving employability.
To alleviate the sense of deprivation felt by the people of Balochistan, who had previously been neglected, the incumbent government launched a scholarship program for Balochistan and ex-FATA students, under which approximately 5,000 scholarships will be awarded.
✳️حکومت نے نوجوانوں کے لیے 12 ارب روپے کی لاگت سے لیپ ٹاپ سکیم کا دوبارہ اجرا کیا ہے۔
✳️بلوچستان اور سابقہ فاٹا کے طلبا کو 5000 سکالرشپ فراہم کیے جائیں گے جو علاقائی تفاوت ختم کرنے میں مدد فراہم کرے گا۔وفاقی وزیر احسن اقبال کا یوتھ ڈویلپمنٹ انیشیٹوز کی تقریب سے خطاب#PM4Youth pic.twitter.com/Mp7KUaqojD
— Ministry of Planning and Development (@PlanComPakistan) March 21, 2023
This included 30,000 internships in public sector development projects at a cost of Rs9.6 billion and 30,000 interns in the private industrial sector at a cost of Rs9 billion, both through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and lasting up to a year.
Furthermore, under the Talented Youth Internship Programme, 30,000 unemployed, graduated youth would be provided with Rs25,000 per month internships in the private sector for six months at a cost of Rs9 billion through the Public Sector Development Programme.
Free laptops
In addition, 100,000 youth would be given free laptop computers worth Rs10 billion. These projects are in addition to the Rs87 billion already approved by the government for development schemes in the constituencies of the prime minister’s 174 MNAs.
The government also resurrected a project to provide laptop computers to 100,000 youth, including 20,000 in Balochistan.
Furthermore, the government would fully fund approximately 75 outstanding students who gain admission to the top 25 universities.
Speaking on the occasion, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated that for the first time in Pakistani history, the government has begun a project to uplift the country’s 20 poorest districts, with Rs40 billion set aside for this purpose.
