Doda (Jammu & Kashmir), May 7 (IANS) The Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI), a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Rural Development and SBI, is emerging as a major platform for empowering rural youth in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district by equipping them with self-employment skills.

The institute is currently witnessing enthusiastic participation from young women, particularly in its cutting and tailoring course, where a large number of girls are enrolling with aspirations of starting their own businesses after completing the training.

RSETI offers free short-duration residential training programmes ranging from six days to six weeks in agriculture, product manufacturing, processing, and general sectors, with a focus on helping trainees establish micro-enterprises.

Apart from tailoring, the institute also provides courses in dairy farming, poultry, beauty parlour management, mobile repairing, computer hardware, driving, and various agricultural activities.

Training, food, and lodging facilities are provided completely free of cost to all beneficiaries, making it accessible for youth from economically weaker rural backgrounds.

Speaking to IANS, beneficiary Insha Banoo said that the scheme has given her confidence to become self-reliant.

"This is a very good scheme. It has been 10 days since I came here, and I have learned a lot. I stay in the hostel here, and food is also provided there. I came here with the thought that after completing this, I will start my own small business," she said.

Encouraging more youth to join the programme, she added, "I would also like to encourage others to come here and take advantage of this scheme."

Another trainee, Abisha Sharief, said the tailoring course is helping her learn practical skills for earning a livelihood independently.

"I am learning tailoring work here. They teach us cutting, stitching and educate us about different types of fabrics. After this, we will be able to grow our livelihood on our own," she said.

Trainer Arpana Korwal said the tailoring programme runs for 31 days and focuses on providing hands-on training.

"In the tailoring course, students are taught how to stitch and about different types of fabrics. Good training is provided here so that students can later set up their own business. There are many courses here, whether it is a beauty parlour course, tailoring course, driving, computer, or agricultural courses," she said.

Faheem Raja Munshi, SBI Faculty at RSETI Doda, said the institute has been transforming lives since its establishment in 2012.

"This institute was opened in 2012. Till now, we have trained 232 batches, in which more than 6,000 students have been trained, and out of them, over 5,000 students are now working independently," he said.

The initiative is being seen as an important step towards reducing rural unemployment and promoting entrepreneurship among youth in remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

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