Chizokho Vero
Jotsoma | September 26
Recognizing the scope and career options for Naga youths in the aviation industry, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today felt that there is an urgent need for setting up an aviation training institute in Nagaland.
“The state government is ready to provide land and all back up services for setting up such an institute,” Rio said at the one-day workshop on ‘Career Options in Aviation’ for the youths of Nagaland. The workshop was held here at the auditorium of Kohima Science College, Jotsoma this morning under the aegis of the Aeronautical Society of India, Kolkata branch in collaboration with the state government and XL Event management group.
Rio said that he wanted this matter to figure during the workshop “so that some concrete proposals and recommendations may emerge, which we can follow up.”
“I hope that today’s workshop will go a long way in familiarizing and enthusing the youth of Nagaland for a career in aviation,” Rio said.
Rio termed the workshop as “very timely and important, because the aviation industry is not only experiencing a great boom in recent years, but is also with brighter prospects of a furious and sustained growth in the future too.”
Quoting civil aviation minister Praful Patel that the Indian aviation industry would create 4 million jobs in the next 10 years, Rio said “the aviation industry would be the growth area, that would open up a lot of employment opportunities for our youngsters.”
The added attraction is that, jobs in the aviation industry are in high public esteem and highly paid, he said.
“It certainly offers suitable and attractive career options for our Naga youth, who are not only daring and adventurous, but generally fluent in English language, which is a must for a career in civil aviation.”
Rio stated that airline pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and cabin crews etc. are some of the jobs which would particularly suit Naga youths ‘very well.’
From the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund, the government has been sponsoring a number of educated youths for training at the Frankfinn Airhostess Training Institute, Shillong, and many of them have already started flying as airhostesses in various airlines.
“Through the ‘People’s Channel,’ a Kohima-based NGO, the state government have also been helping new recruits of Kingfisher Airlines to meet their initial security deposit of Rs. 50,000 each by creating a revolving fund.
The Chief Minister also stated that a sub-committee of the NEC on introduction of helicopter services in the north east region was held at Kohima recently where one of the conclusions of the meeting was the need for urgent recruitment and training of pilots from the north east region, “so that we have pilots who would better understand the topography of the region, and who would be more at home and better adjusted in the north east region.”
Accompanied by minister for school education I. Imkong Imchen, parliamentary secretaries Kipili Sangtam, Jongshilemba, MC Konyak, Kaito, R. Khing, Nkhao Lotha and MLA Naiba Konyak, the Chief Minister also released aviation book on the occasion.
“We are here to promote you” said Manish Gupta, (IAS), Rtd, chairman, Aeronautical Society of India, Kolkata branch and further urged upon the Naga youth to come forward and avail the opportunity.
The workshop, conducted by A.N. Mukerjee and Chandan Choudhury, executive committee members of the Aeronautical Society of India, Kolkata branch has focused on career options in aviation, particularly pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, cabin crew, flight dispatchers, air traffic sections for the youth.
