Awantipora/ Srinagar,July 18(Scoop News)– Saying that accessibility to higher and technical education is focal point in his government’s new education policy, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Wednesday highlighted the need for introducing modern market oriented subjects in higher educational curriculum.
"There is need to impart subjects of present and future relevance to the students in the universities and colleges so that they are easily absorbed in open job market", he said adding that present age is the age of science and technology. "We have to develop a new generation of capable and knowledgeable enough to fit in the changing scenario of scientific advancement", he said.
Taking review of the achievements and functions of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), here, the Chief Minister who is also Chancellor of the University called for cultivating educational temperament in educational institutions and making academic excellence and moral fineness benchmark in studies.
Omar Abdullah said that befitting faculties and infrastructure are necessary part in the growth and development of higher education. He said his government is concentrating on this issue vigorously. "We have underlined consolidation as an important concern in the development policy", he added and said that consolidation is taking place simultaneously with the expansion process.
The Chief Minister said that growth of universities and creation of new offsite campuses alongwith setting up of scores of degree colleges, polytechnics and ITIs in the State during last over three years besides providing faculties and infrastructure to the educational institutions indicates the keenness of his government to universalize higher and technical education alongwith elementary studies.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress of Islamic University during the last three years, the Chief Minister hoped that the university would continue its march to achieve new highs. He said that government would extend all possible help to the university. He, however, flagged own resource generation by the university as an important factor for its development and growth.
The Chief Minister was presented detailed brief about the functioning and progress of the university by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdul Rashid Trag. He said that as against the total enrolment of 186 students in the university in 2006, the current enrolment has gone up to 1830 this year. He said 16 courses of including B.Tech Computer Science and Engineering, Electronic and Communication, Food Technology, Civil Engineering, BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, BBA, B.Tech Electrical Engineering, MBA, MCA, MSc. Food Technology, M.A Islamic Studies, Arabic, English, Mass Communication, International Relations and MSc. IT. He said that out of 2783 students enrolled so far in the university, as many as 975 have passed out of the university.
Prof. Trag said that 4 buildings, 27 pre-fabricated huts and 7 other structures for workshops are presently existing in the campuses while 2 academic blocks at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crores are presently under construction. He said under the substantial assistance from Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy headed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the university is in the process of establishing one campuses solar power plant to generate 250 KV power for the campus. The total cost of the project is Rs. 6.75 crores and will be completed in two phases. The first phase has already started at a cost of Rs. 2.70 crore to generate 100 KV electricity.
Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah for his keen interest in the development and growth of Awantipora Islamic University, Prof. Trag said that the financial and logistic support provided by the government has helped to provide a strong edifice for the growth of the university. He said under the directions of the Chief Minister the university has established a polytechnic in the campus arrangements have been finalized to admit students during the current session. He said that the Chief Minister has been kind enough to provide financial aid to the tune of Rs. 6 crores during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 for purchase of land and construction of 2 academic buildings. He said that UGC has also sanction Rs. 2.5 crore for infrastructure development for the current year and the State Government is also providing Rs. 2.5 crore as a matching share.
Prog. Trag said that university is associated with Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) and BSNL and has joined 100 Mbps optical network which has connected Islamic University with other universities of the country through National Knowledge Network. The project sponsored by MHRD costs Rs. 2 crores. MHRD is also sponsoring another project costing Rs. 44.85 lakhs to create LAN infrastructure in the university campus under National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology.
The Vice Chancellor said that the funds generation from his various sources including that of the State Government has shown considerable increase. The resource generation has touched Rs. 18 crores in 2011-12 as against Rs. 11 crores in 2010-11. The expenditure mainly on infrastructure development has been of the order of Rs. 10.07 crore in 2010-11 and Rs. 17.87 crores in 2011-12.
Presenting the Action Taken Profile on the decisions taken in the last review meeting and the directions given by the Chancellor, Prof. Trag said that the Chief Minster/Chancellor IUST had desired that IUST should make a impact assessment study of National Saffron Mission. "The University has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. S. P. S. Guleria, Head Department of Food Technology to study the impact of Saffron Mission. The committee has had interactions with the beneficiaries and other senior citizens and collected relevant data. A detailed report will soon be submitted to government", he said.
Prof. Trag said that IUST has been identified as third-party Monitoring Agency for monitoring of different projects and the university has conducted the monitoring of BADP works District Budgam, Kargil and Leh, CD Block Kulgam, MGNREGA, IAY & TSC and reports have been submitted to the government while monitoring process has been initiated for BADP works in District Budgam, Bandipora and Kupwara
The Chief Minister laid foundation of two buildings being constructed at an estimated cost of about Rs. 10.86 crore. The Electronics and Communication Block involves Rs. 4.74 crore and Computer Science and Engineering Block estimates Rs. 6.12 crore.
The Chief Minister during over one and the half hour long interaction session with students of the university replied the questions of the students on various subjects including social, development, health, education, employment, employability, skill development, etc.
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