Kohima, Oct 30 Nagaland Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen on Friday called upon universities and colleges in the state to introduce industry-oriented courses and strengthen practical learning to bridge the gap between academic education and employment opportunities.
Addressing a day-long consultative seminar on ‘Emerging Trends: Introduction and Realising Potential’, organised by the Department of Higher and Technical Education, Imchen said rapid technological advancements, climate change and evolving economic demands were transforming the education and employment landscape.
“Joblessness in Nagaland remained a matter of concern, with the unemployment rate among people aged 15-59 standing at 7.3 per cent against the national average of 3.5 per cent,” he said, quoting the PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) report of March 2026.
Youth unemployment in the state was 17.5 per cent, compared to 9.9 per cent nationally, he said.
Citing a 2025 report on unemployment, skills and migration in Nagaland, Imchen said 92 per cent of the state’s residents lacked formal vocational or technical education, while 78 per cent of workers had no prior work experience.
He stressed the need to introduce emerging disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, renewable energy and other industry-relevant programmes in higher education institutions.
Welcoming Nagaland University’s initiative to introduce AI components in postgraduate and PhD programmes from the 2026-27 academic session, he urged other universities and colleges to follow suit.
He also called for institutional collaboration, industry partnerships and faculty-sharing arrangements to overcome infrastructure and staffing constraints.
Delivering the special address, Nagaland University Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dipak Sinha said emerging courses could also be introduced by updating existing curricula rather than creating entirely new programmes.
He stressed that AI should be integrated across disciplines, and highlighted the importance of practical training, career guidance and entrepreneurship.
The seminar featured technical sessions on renewable energy, agriculture, veterinary sciences, AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, medical technologies and emerging pedagogies in arts and commerce.
(PTI News)
