Border Youth Must Be Empowered Through Education, Skills and Opportunities: LG Sinha
Srinagar, September 29, 2026: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the younger generation is the torchbearer of India’s rich tradition of knowledge and culture, and stressed the need to empower youth in border areas through education, entrepreneurship, sports, culture and mentorship.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Wadies Hindi Shiksha Samiti in collaboration with the Jammu Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to honour meritorious students.
Congratulating the students, teachers, parents and organisers, Sinha said the students being honoured were not merely winners of a competition but torchbearers of India’s rich tradition of knowledge, literature and culture.
Emphasising the importance of the mother tongue, the Lieutenant Governor said language is not merely a means of communication but is closely linked to identity, memory and cultural sensibilities.
He said Jammu and Kashmir’s linguistic diversity reflects the confluence of India’s shared cultural heritage and noted that the National Education Policy places emphasis on early education in the mother tongue and Indian languages to help children learn and grow with confidence.
Sinha said children should remain rooted in their heritage while being provided opportunities to compete and excel at the global level.
“The real development of Jammu Kashmir will come when a child in our border villages can say with confidence, ‘I can fulfil my dreams.’ I know that the children and youth of border areas are brimming with courage and talent and they are an inspiration for the entire nation,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor outlined five key areas for youth empowerment in border areas—education and technology; employment and entrepreneurship; sports and culture; access to opportunities; and guidance and mentorship.
He called for ensuring that modern educational and skill-development facilities reach remote areas.
“We must ensure that smart classrooms, digital libraries, and skill-development opportunities reach remote villages. We must create opportunities for youth in handicrafts, horticulture, agriculture, tourism, and local industries so that they become not just job-seekers but also job-creators,” Sinha said.
He urged stakeholders to provide young people with avenues to channel their energy into education, sports and creative pursuits.
“Our youth should not lag behind those living in any metro city of the country. All scholarships, digital platforms, training programmes, and competition opportunities at national and international levels must also be accessible to the youth of border areas,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed officials to facilitate greater interaction between young people from border areas and accomplished professionals from Jammu and Kashmir.
He suggested that established professionals from the region should visit these students twice a year or interact with them through programmes in Srinagar and Jammu to share their experiences and provide guidance.
Sinha urged students to take pride in their language and cultural heritage while embracing science, technology, entrepreneurship and modern knowledge.
“Each student possesses special ability. They should transform that ability into responsibility. Take pride in your language, understand your culture, and at the same time move forward to touch new horizons in science, technology, entrepreneurship and modern knowledge,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor also appreciated the efforts of the Wadies Hindi Shiksha Samiti and its office-bearers in promoting the Hindi language and congratulated all the meritorious students honoured at the ceremony.
Principal Secretary, Culture Department, Brij Mohan Sharma; Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department, Ram Niwas Sharma; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg; SSP Srinagar Dr GV Sundeep Chakravarthy; Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo; Secretary, Jammu Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Harvinder Kour; National President, Wadies Hindi Shiksha Samiti, Nasreen Ali Nidhi; senior officials, representatives of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Vaishvik Hindi Parivar and Wadies Hindi Shiksha Samiti, prominent citizens, heads of educational institutions, teachers and students of Army Goodwill Schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas attended the ceremony.
