Set up SAARC university in J and K, PDP chief Mehbooba

Srinagar, Aug 28 (UNI) Demanding setting up of a SAARC university in Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today said this would initiate political and economic progress for the state.

The proposed SAARC University would again make the state a hub of intra-regional educational cooperation, she said after laying the foundation stone of an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in south Kashmir today.

''I think there is no better place in the region than Jammu and Kashmir to have a SAARC University as the initiative would have both political and economic significance for the State,'' she said.

Ms Mufti said given the topography and weather conditions of the Kashmir valley, it is ideally suited for setting up of quality educational institutions and learning centers of highest standards.

She said if Dehradun, Shimla, Dalhousie and Mussorie could become educational hubs, why not Jammu and Kashmir that offers better environs and weather conditions.

Ms Mufti added that setting up of the SAARC University in the State could open it up for further similar initiatives boosting its economy.

She said realising the urgency of professional education sector in the state, the PDP-led coalition Government had taken the initiative of establishing Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT) and Bibi Haleema Nursing College with job-intensive courses like management, IT, biotechnology, nursing and food processing, that have immense job market.

She said while rest of the institutions are functional, the setting up of Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology is being, unfortunately, delayed at various levels due to unknown reasons.

''The Government must not allow anybody to sabotage the setting up of a prestigious IT institute like DAIICT as it would be an irreparable loss for the State,'' she said and added that despite her repeated pleas in this regard, there seems to be no movement in the Government on clearing the project.

She said given the resource constraints of the Government, the private sector must be encouraged to establish such specialised institutes throughout the State.

''Through such initiatives we could not only channelise and utilize the State's human resource fruitfully, but would also cope with the growing unemployment to a large extent,'' she said and added that the trained professionals of these specialised institutes, instead of hankering after government jobs like the general students, could establish their own units to earn livelihood and generate employment.

Stressing the need for greater private-public partnership to improve the standard of skilled-education in the State, Ms Mufti said skilled-education has now become a prerequisite for most of the jobs and we need to establish quality professional institutions in collaboration with corporate sector in the State for specialised training to groom productive human resource.

Ms Mufti also announced Rs 2.50 lakh from her Local Area Development Fund for the fencing of the higher upgraded newly Higher Secondary School, Khurribatpora.

UNI