Srinagar: Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Chancellor, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Atta Hasnain Tuesday strongly underscored the need of establishing a robust higher educational system in Kashmir.
“I aspire to see that all the students from Valley receive higher and other technical education from the institutions established in Kashmir only and none of the students shall have to move outside for the same,” CUK Chancellor said while chairing the 7th Meeting of the University Court held both in offline and online mode at SK International Convention Centre (SKICC) here.
Vice Chancellor, CUK, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir. Talat Ahmad, CUK Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar, Controller of Examinations, Prof. Parveen Pandit, Finance Officer, Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nikka, Deans of all the Schools, Heads of Departments, Court members from within and outside the valley attended the meeting both in offline and online mode. Prominent businessman of Srinagar, Mr Mushtaq Chaya and a well known social worker and education entrepreneur Ms Qazi Dil Afroz also attended the meeting.
Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Atta Hasnain said the people, especially the students’ community were facing difficult times due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, across the country. “The university has to devise new techniques (both online and offline) and come up with novel teaching-learning methods to impart education to the students during these tough times,” CUK Chancellor added. Interacting with the senior faculty members and functionaries of the university, Chancellor, complimented them for strictly adhering to the academic and examination calendar, despite the lockdown due to Covid-19. He asked the university functionaries to expedite the construction process for establishment of the campus at the designated site at Tulmulla and the University town at Watlar.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir, gave a detailed account about the university functioning, particularly during the Covid times. He said the university has made a considerable headway and progress vis-à-vis academics and research, but has failed on infrastructure front. Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said the university at present has Nine School of studies, which run 45 undergraduate, postgraduate, Diploma and Research programmes in four different campuses at Ganderbal district, adding the number of students and scholars has crossed 2700 and 235 respectively. He said the University Grants Commission (UGC), Chairman, Prof. D. P Singh, recently laid foundation stones for the University Township at Watlar and construction of G+1 academic block at the designated Tulmulla Campus. Prof. Mir said that in addition to the 5000 kanals of land allotted by the erstwhile State government, the present dispensation gave an additional 95 kanals of land wherein hostels for boys and girls, Vice-Chancellor’s lodge, residential accommodation for teaching and administrative staff, health center, guest house, indoor stadium, community center, chowkidar/security quarters, are being constructed.
He said that despite several constraints, the university students have brought accolades while participating in the events and competitions organised by other universities.
Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar who took up the agenda items, made a presentation and apprised the Court members about the hiccups faced by the university on the development of infrastructure. He said the issue of marshy land and the inordinate delays caused by some of the executing agencies have already brought into the notice of the functionaries in the Ministry of Education and the present dispensation.
During the meeting, Deans of Schools, Director Research and Development, and Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Controller of Examinations, Finance Officer and Project Director DIC, DSW, Librarian, made detailed presentations about the functioning of their respective Schools and Departments. Participating in the discussion the court members made a fervent appeal to the Ministry of Education and the Central Government to provide adequate financial support to the University for developing the infrastructure. “The Universities in Kashmir, for their strategic disadvantageous location, need a solid support from the government to catch up with the rest of well-developed institutions in the country”, they stressed.

KR Desk