Fundamental shift needed in Nagaland’s human capital approach

Morung Express NewsKohima | October 16A fundamental shift is needed in Nagaland’s approach to human capital development. Educational institutions, policymakers, and society must move beyond producing degree holders and job seekers toward nurturing skilled individuals, entrepreneurs, and opportunity creators.Prof Zuchamo Yanthan made this observation while addressing the 3rd Nagaland Economic Association (NEA) conference-cum-international seminar at Kohima College on October 16. The seminar was held under the theme “Refocusing Human Capital Development: Challenges and Opportunities.”Yanthan, from the Discipline of Library Sciences at IGNOU, New Delhi, said the state’s greatest resource is not its land, forests, natural resources, or infrastructure, but its people - particularly its educated youth, whose potential could drive sustainable development if given the right skills, opportunities, and support.He asserted that education imparts knowledge, skills build capabilities, and these in turn create opportunities for enterprise, livelihoods, and development.“The question is not how many educated people we have, but what they can create if they are given the right skills, opportunities, and support system,” he said, calling for a shift from producing degree holders to developing capable individuals who can solve problems, build enterprises, and create opportunities for others.Unemployment paradoxHighlighting the growing gap between educational attainment and employment opportunities, Yanthan said Nagaland faces the challenge of having educated and talented young people without sufficient avenues to realise their potential.He observed that education was expanding, but opportunities within the state had not grown at the same pace. One reason, he said, was the long-standing belief that academic success should lead to a government job.While acknowledging that government employment offers stability, security, and dignity, he said the government cannot provide jobs for everyone and that society needs to broaden its understanding of work and economic opportunity.Instead of repeatedly asking where jobs can be found, Yanthan urged young people to consider what opportunities they can create themselves.He said such a change in mindset could help Nagaland move from degrees to skills, skills to capabilities, ideas to enterprises, and enterprises to sustainable livelihoods.“The future of Nagaland cannot be built on educational qualifications alone. It can be built when educated people become capable individuals, and when those individuals become creators of opportunities for others,” he said.Building on indigenous strengthsYanthan urged Nagaland to build on its indigenous strengths rather than simply copy development models from other states. By combining traditional knowledge with modern technology, design, branding and marketing, he said, local products could reach wider markets and generate sustainable livelihoods.He also called for stronger indigenous enterprises, urging the state to welcome outside investment and technology while ensuring that local youth became business owners, creators and value builders rather than merely consumers.“The goal is not isolation, but the capacity to compete. It is not about abandoning our identity, but turning it into strength,” he said.Migration and government supportYanthan said migration should not automatically be viewed as a loss to Nagaland, as young people moving elsewhere for education, employment and experience could bring valuable knowledge, networks and investments back to the state.He called for a shift from the migration of talent to the circulation of talent by maintaining connections with Nagas living outside the state and encouraging them to contribute to its development.He also urged the government to act as an enabler by improving access to finance, infrastructure, markets, skills training and mentorship, particularly for young people in remote areas and first-generation entrepreneurs.Government initiatives, he said, should be assessed not merely by the number of schemes announced but by their impact on people’s lives and their ability to create opportunities.Women’s participation and redefining successEmphasising women’s role in development, Yanthan said Nagaland could not realise its full potential while women continued to face barriers to finance, technology, markets and decision-making.“Empowering women is not simply a question of equality. It is an investment in Nagaland’s development,” he said, adding that women’s empowerment strengthened families, communities and the wider economy.He also called for society to broaden its definition of success beyond government employment, urging greater recognition of farming, craftsmanship, business, research, innovation and community service.Success, he said, should be measured by what individuals create, the problems they solve and the opportunities they generate for others, rather than their job titles or place of employment.Critical thinking key to the futureYanthan underscored the importance of critical thinking in schools, colleges and universities, calling for more debates, discussions and independent thinking among students.He said educational institutions should encourage young people to question ideas, exchange perspectives and develop solutions to challenges such as unemployment, entrepreneurship, migration, technology and climate change.Yanthan reiterated that the state’s future cannot depend on policies alone but on the potential of its youth, their ability to create opportunities and collective efforts to turn human potential into sustainable development.