Plan afoot to make Jammu and Kashmir skill capital of country: LG Manoj Sinha

The project will enhance the sustainable campus infrastructure of one of the premier Technical Institutes in Northern India.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education shared his views on the occasion through a video message. Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor pointed out fast-changing market dynamics and new innovations taking place globally and the efforts being taken by the UT Government to amplify exponential technologies ecosystem to meet the modern-day requirements.

“With our technical education infrastructure, rigorous career programs for high demand technology in the post-Covid world, we are working on an ambitious plan to make J&K UT the skill capital of the country,” observed the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor, according to an official handout, asked the technical institutions to focus on strengthening Academia-Industry collaboration which is crucial for research, innovation and building human capital for economic growth.

“Technical Institutes must experiment with new technologies for the benefit of society,” he added.

“Emerging technologies are also a basic need of civilized society. Without new inventions, a developed society cannot be conceived,” the Lt Governor said.

The modern era engineering technologies, he said, are making the world more connected and transforming lives of people living in far-flung areas.

“Today's fantasy could be tomorrow's invention. Even a small invention in the lab can make a big difference to the world. That's why it is important to promote scientific temper among the students,” observed the Lt Governor.

Terming youth power as the biggest asset for any region, the Lt Governor said that the potential of the young generation needs to be properly channelized for development.

The Lt Governor also underlined the need for encouraging innovations and inventions as recommended by the new National Educational Policy.

The government, he said, is taking a host of measures to make “our youth well prepared for Industry 4.0. We are planning to set up more Centres for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training in J&K in order to prepare trained technocrats equipped with new skill sets to meet the growing demands of Automation, Artificial Intelligence and e-commerce sectors.”

“Jammu and Kashmir was deprived of industrial development for decades. Now, the Rs 28,400 cr new Industrial Development Scheme is transforming the industrial sector of the UT and attracting huge investments. Recently, J&K has received investment proposals worth Rs 23,500 cr and if we go by the recent scenario, the figure will reach Rs 50,000 cr by March next year,” said the Lt Governor.

The development of key industries will create new job opportunities for youth, he added. While appreciating NIT Srinagar for its continuous efforts in developing infrastructure in the campus, the Lt Governor said that the premier technical institute is making headways in making itself ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ in terms of extending all requisite facilities to the students, besides achieving organic growth in training and placement.

Recalling his interaction with two young innovators during his recent visit to NIT Srinagar, the Lt Governor said that necessary directions have been passed to the CEO Mission Youth to connect them and take their innovations to the grassroots.

“I have full faith that 'Smart Crop Irrigation and Monitoring System', which has been developed by the students of Chemical Engineering of NIT Srinagar, will bring a new revolution in cultivation of Saffron in the coming times,” added the Lt Governor.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, in his video message, said that the Mega Boys Hostel, once completed, will equip NIT Srinagar with modern facilities enabling the institution to accommodate the increasing number of student intake.

“I always believe that Jammu and Kashmir has a fundamental role to play in the development of the nation. The youth of J&K are filled with energy and aspirations. Higher Education Institutions such as NIT Srinagar must channelize their talent, knowledge, and skill for the transformation of the UT and the entire country,” said the Union Minister.

Prof. (Dr.) Rakesh Sehgal, Director, NIT Srinagar gave a detailed overview of the project and informed that the mega hostel is being constructed as a green building through a loan amount of Rs 85 cr approved by Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) on the recommendations of the Ministry of Education.

“It will provide a host of facilities to the students for their comfortable stay on the campus,” he added. Prof. Kaiser Bukhari, Registrar NIT presented the vote of thanks on the occasion.

Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor; besides Deans, Head of Departments, faculty members of NIT Srinagar, and officials of CPWD attended the launching ceremony in person and through virtual mode.