Srinagar, Jan. 24 -- Mission YUVA is steadily emerging as one of the most ambitious youth empowerment programmes in Jammu and Kashmir. With nearly 95 percent Panchayat coverage and loans worth over Rs 800 crore sanctioned, its scale is impressive. But the true measure of success will not be in numbers alone; it will be in whether these interventions create sustainable livelihoods, strengthen local economies, and restore confidence among a generation that has long felt excluded from opportunity.

The mission's dependence on data-driven monitoring is a welcome departure from past practices. By tracking performance indicators down to the Panchayat level, the government has introduced accountability into a space where schemes often faltered. ...