Expanding education sector

Union HRD Minister has been in the town. He inaugurated a Degree College in Dooru in Anantnag District. In all the HRD Ministry is supporting 45 Degree Colleges in the State. Talking in a press meet, the HRD Minister recalled a wide range of Central support in expanding education in J&K State during the last three years and would continue to do so in years to come. The Centre has increased the plan grant to the State from 0.9 per cent to 2.7 per cent in three years. In addition to providing assistance for setting up of 45 degree colleges in the State, the HRD has granted two Central Universities and seven offsite campuses. The Centre has earmarked Rs 170 crore for the development of higher education sector in the State and Rs 85 crore have been released out of this so far. The HRD Ministry has also sanctioned Rs five crore for Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University.Islamic University and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. The Union Minister announced that Union Cabinet has taken a decision of de-linking the age factor of the teachers of the Jammu and Kashmir Government for the release of 80 percent arrears of the Sixth Pay Commission. He said that this was a gift from HRD Ministry to teachers of the State. The Centre had sanctioned 25,000 scholarships spread over the next five years for students of Jammu and Kashmir. The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar is admitting 650 students this year and so is the Central University. 95 per cent placements take at NIT Srinagar. The companies are doing placements in Srinagar and providing large number of jobs to the youth of the State. Thus we find that the HRD is fully cooperating with the State Government in expanding education in the State. But there are some Centrally sponsored schemes which have not yielded the desired results and the HRD Minister’s  attention was drawn to the matter. In overall estimation, the State is taking big and fast steps in expanding the education and in upgrading is quality with big support from the Union Government.