The Governor, N. N. Vohra and the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, have stressed the need for greater coordination between the Universities for sharing resources, bringing together knowledge and expertise and building synergies for effectively addressing the requirements of the dynamic context in the field of higher studies.
Addressing the 68th meeting of the Jammu University Council, in Jammu on Friday , the Governor and the Chief Minister said that the higher and technical education is on the threshold in Jammu and Kashmir. The setting up of off-site campuses and satellite centres and the establishment of a Central University in the State call for greater coordination between the institutions of higher learning to optimally utilize the equipment and other facilities for ensuring regular upgradation of academic standards.
The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University, said that for further streamlining the activities of the Universities, the University Calendars should be updated on a dynamic basis and the necessary modifications issued from time to time should be incorporated in the University Calendar.
The Governor further emphasized that the University Councils should meet at least twice a year and the Syndicates, Academic Councils and Finance Committees should meet at least once in a quarter. This would enable the various statutory bodies of the University to constantly look into the performance related aspects and work out strategies for meeting emerging requirements and concerns, he asserted.
Referring to his recent visit to the Jammu University campus, the
Governor said that during his visit to the Business School, Bio-Technology School and various departments, including Physics and Electronics, he interacted with the faculty members and the students and got a first hand idea of the present status of academic activities in the University.
The Governor noted with satisfaction that, during last February, University Grants Commission team visited the University to evaluate the XI Plan of the University and a team from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council also visited the University in March 2009, adding that such visits provide opportunities for exchange of ideas and help identify the areas requiring focused attention.
Highlighting the importance of conducive academic atmosphere in the University campuses, the Governor called for making efforts to ensure creation of healthy learning and living environment on the campuses.
Emphasizing the need for reaching out to all areas of the State for the development of higher and technical education, the Chief Minister, who is also the Pro-Chancellor of the University, said that the Universities have a stupendous role to play in this regard. He said that the Universities of Kashmir and Jammu, which have a number of campuses and satellite centres across the State, would need to undertake a critical assessment to determine how best the interests of the intending students, in their pursuit for higher and technical education, could be served, nearest to their homes. He laid stress on consolidation of available assets for taking quality education to the doorsteps of the students.
“In the present day of global requirements, we have to develop our education system in such a way as would not only keep pace with the growth of science and technology but substantially enhance the opportunities of employability for youth’, the Chief Minister stressed.
The Vice Chancellor of University of Jammu, Prof. Varun Sahni made a power point presentation in the meeting highlighting various aspects of the functioning and the academic activities of the University.
Giving details of flagship programmes of the Jammu University, the Vice Chancellor said that the Department of Physics is participating in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Geneva in ALICE experiment, the Dogri Department has collaborated with CDAC, Pune to produce a Dogri-English online dictionary and nine software tools, while as the University is producing the Human Development Report for Jammu and
Kashmir and collaborating with CSDS, New Delhi in public opinion polling. The Physics Department has Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometre, a DST national facility. The Business School of the University runs a SAP Project on integrated trans-Himalayan Tourism for J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In addition, the Geology Department has prestigious projects in Glaciology, Earthquakes & Landslides, Gondwana Sub-Continent Paleobiology and Dinosaur migration, while as the Human Genetics project is doing clinical work with Government Medical College in Genetic Mapping in Jammu and Kashmir and Physics Department participating in Brookhaven National Laboratory STAR Collider hybrid experiment project.
It was stated in the presentation that the University of Jammu runs a number of University Centres in various disciplines and research courses. These include Centres of Human Genetics, Strategic and Regional Studies, Gandhian, Nehru and Ambedkar Studies, Phonetic and Museology Studies, History and Cultural Studies of Jammu and Ladakh, Media Studies etc.
It was also given out that the University has four campuses at Bhadarwah, Kathua, Udhampur and Poonch which have seven satellite centres. The courses offered in these campuses and centres included MBA, MCA, e-Learning for men and women, M. Com, MA Economics, Sociology and English etc. It was also stated that the University runs Post-Graduate courses in 13 Government Degree Colleges in Jammu Division.
The University is laying renewed emphasis on research and teaching, optimal utilization of available facilities, strengthening sports and cultural activities, timely declaration of results and quality
assurance, the meeting was informed.
The Council discussed threadbare various agenda points pertaining to the functioning and development of the University of Jammu and took a number of decisions relating to the budget, academic courses and other administrative matters.
The meeting was attended by the Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, Prof. Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University, Prof. Riyaz Punjabi and Members of the Council including Prof. Ram Prakash Bambah, Prof. Veena Gupta, Prof. Subash Sharma, Prof. Mohammad Iqbal and Prof. N. K. Tripathi. The Principal Secretary to Governor, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner/Secretary, Finance, Sudhanshu Pandey, Commissioner/Secretary, Higher Education, N. K. Verma and Registrar Jammu University, Prof. G. S. Sambyal were also present.
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