Highlighting Government’s focus on creating opportunities for the youth, Rio in his Independence Day speech at Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza on 15th August 2026, said the Department of Youth Resources & Sports virtually inaugurated 16 new sports infrastructure projects comprising of 11 Multipurpose Indoor Halls, four Futsal Grounds, a District Youth Resources & Sports Officer’s Office and a residential quarter at Peren. He also highlighted Nagaland’s performance at the SAI Khelo India Archery Championship where the State secured one gold, four silver and four bronze medals. Rio further noted that Nagaland’s grassroots sporting initiatives, including the Nagaland Baby League Football and Nagaland Women Futsal League, were featured in the 135th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on June 28, 2026.
Under the PM-USHA scheme, the Higher Education Department completed and inaugurated three major projects at Dimapur Government College, a new Academic Building, a 46 room Girls Hostel and an Incubation Centre & Skill Hub; an Academic Building at Zunheboto Government College. The Department also launched the Higher Education Attendance & Record Tracking (HEART) App on April 29 to strengthen technology driven governance.
The Technical Education Department, meanwhile, successfully completed the PM-DeVINE project on “Educational Infrastructure and Facility Development in the Polytechnics of Nagaland”. Dr. Rio said the State Cabinet had also approved the Nagaland Technical Education Policy. He also said the Government had submitted a comprehensive proposal to the Ministry of Education for establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Nagaland.
The Chief Minister stated that the Department of Labour, Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship had signed an MoU with the Logistics Sector Skills Council and Redington Foundation to establish a Centre of Excellence in Dimapur, aimed at training unemployed youth and meeting the growing demand for skilled professionals in the logistics sector. He also highlighted the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, Nagaland (CMFPN), implemented by IDAN, which seeks to strengthen governance through research, evidence based policymaking, institutional learning and field engagement. The Nagaland Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Mission has also established the NSEDM-IDAN Japanese Language Centre in collaboration with ASEAN ONE, Japan. The first batch of 50 trainees is being prepared for overseas employment opportunities, he added.
Dr. Rio highlighted that School Education Department completed 54 infrastructure projects during FY 2025-26, including 49 Integrated Science & Mathematics Laboratories, four school building renovations and one residential hostel. He said the NCERT-PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 State Report recorded significant improvements in foundational language and numeracy, reflecting progress under the NIPUN Bharat Mission. Under the Nagaland Education Project-NECTAR, the PACE-N digital learning management system has also been introduced to strengthen governance and support the professional development of teachers, school leaders and education officials.
Rio said these initiatives collectively reflect the Government’s commitment to investing in Nagaland’s human capital and equipping its young population with the education, skills and opportunities needed to contribute meaningfully to the State’s long-term development.
(Ikedalule, APRO & Esiuhangle, IA)