Pillar: Agency & Engagement
12.8% of young men in Cooch Behar read a newspaper regularly, behind the typical district. 45.9% use the internet, behind the typical district. MY Bharat and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan build on this base to organise youth for civic and community participation.
75% of registered enterprises are in services while 25% are in manufacturing. Only 2% of employment is in small and medium enterprises. 64% of school-age children are enrolled in higher secondary school (classes 9–12). Only 21% of ITI trainers are certified.
In Cooch Behar, which ranks 12 of 23 in West Bengal for youth opportunity, the overall opportunity score is 44.3 out of 100. The district runs ahead of the national picture on higher-education enrolment at 21.8%, while it lags on women who read a newspaper regularly at 5.9% and women using the internet at 15.3%. On young people in the labour force aged 15 to 29 at 45.8%, it sits close to the national mark.
Mandated services and how to locate the MY Bharat / NYKS in Cooch Behar are in the Cooch Behar district course and the English reference guide (Hindi). See the Cooch Behar youth opportunity scorecard for the full district picture.