Syllabus: GS-II: Social Empowerment & Development Issues

Why in the news?
In the context of Assam’s ambitious plan to build a ₹12 lakh crore economy by 2030, it is becoming clear that infrastructure and investment alone are not enough. For the State’s transformation to be meaningful and inclusive, what needs to change as much as roads and factories is the mindset of its people—how they view work, risk, savings, tradition and modern opportunity.

What is the issue?

• In many parts of Assam, the conventional mindset values job-stability, staying close to home, and following familiar paths
• Yet the economic and social environment is shifting: new sectors are emerging, mobility is increasing, digital finance is penetrating rural areas, and youth are eager for new options.
• When the mindset does not keep pace, there is a disconnect: urban jobs are taken by outsiders; local entrepreneurship remains weak; rural incomes lag; and infrastructure benefits are uneven.
  

Key facts & cases:

• Under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhiyan (CMAAA), Assam has sought to nurture youth entrepreneurship by providing assistance of up to ₹5 lakh for professionals and ₹2 lakh for non-professionals.
  
• The Boneej Scheme offers financial assistance to young entrepreneurs willing to launch their ventures in the State.
  
• A research study found that while many youths in Assam are eager for entrepreneurship, their entrepreneurial competency (dealing with risk, innovation, financial literacy) remains weak.
  
• The Udyam Assam – Youth Entrepreneurship Program aims to engage youths returning to Assam post-COVID in startup creation and self-employment.
  

What does change of mindset mean?

• Entrepreneurial mindset: willingness to take measured risk, to innovate, to create rather than only seek jobs.
  
• Financial literacy: not just understanding banking products, but planning long-term, using digital tools, saving, investing.
  
• Mobility & flexibility: openness to new careers, new places, new technologies, rather than fixed expectations of following family or local traditions.
  
• Rooted innovation: staying connected to Assamese identity and community values while embracing modern opportunities.
  
• Inclusivity: women, tea-garden families, rural youth empowered to participate in growth rather than left behind.
  

Why is Assam particularly in need of this shift?

• Traditional social structures valued stability and community ties; the emerging economy demands versatility and proactiveness.
  
• The State is opening new industrial parks, logistics hubs, and digital connectivity—but without parallel change in human capital and mindsets, growth may remain uneven.
  
• Rural and marginalised communities risk being excluded unless awareness, skills and confidence catch up.
  

What can be done?

• Promote mentoring and role-models: Success stories of young Assamese entrepreneurs should be widely shared to inspire others.
• Expand training and incubation: More youth must be exposed to digital tools, business skills, and savings/investment training.
• Integrate mindset change in school and community programmes: Encourage attitudes of experimentation, resilience, and responsible risk-taking.
• Ensure financial inclusion: Digital banking, micro-loans, and women’s self-help-groups must be accessible, so people feel empowered.
• Maintain cultural anchors: Emphasise that modernity does not mean loss of Assamese values—tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.
  

Exam Hook – Key Takeaways

• Mindset change is as vital as infrastructure in transforming Assam’s economy and society.
• Programmes like CMAAA, Boneej, and Udyam Assam show the shift from job-seeking to enterprise-creating.
• Financial literacy, flexibility, rootedness, and entrepreneurial mindsets must be mainstreamed among rural youths and women.
• For sustainable, inclusive growth, Assam must evolve from an emotional society (values, identity) into an enterprising society (skills, innovation) without losing its roots.
  

Mains Question
“Discuss how a change in mindset among Assam’s youth and women is essential for the State to achieve inclusive growth and social empowerment. Suggest institutional measures to facilitate this change.”

One-line wrap:
In Assam, the real foundation of progress lies not just in roads and factories, but in unlocking the minds of its people to think, adapt and act.

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