An Open Letter to Hon’ble Chancellor of Varsities
Educational Initiatives
By: SHAH KHALID
A year ago ,The Hon’ble Human Resource Development Ministry had agreed to the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s proposal for lateral entry admissions in Engineering Programmes under the Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme-PMSSS- for those students who will get admission in Engineering Colleges and Universities outside the state. Also the Hon’ble HRD Ministry had given a go-ahead to state’s Higher Education Department to start classes in the newly-approved two Engineering colleges at Safapora Ganderbal in Kashmir Division and at Kathua in Jammu division, Sanctioned under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhyian Scheme RUSA, an Ambitious Government of India Programme in Higher Education.
In 2012 The J&K State Government had approved Diploma Engineering Colleges in every district, from where hundreds of candidates annually pass out. After passing the Engineering Diploma, the candidates want to join Bachelors of Engineering Programme through Lateral Entry Mode (LEET) in which Diploma Engineering candidates are directly admitted in 3rd semester of Bachelors of Engineering Programme. But the intake capacity of seats for B-Tech LEET in every Engineering College and University in J&K is 5 to 10 seats, for which Thousands of candidates annually appeared in Entrance Examination. Some how many candidates who are financially sound move outside the state and admitted in some private Engineering College, but those candidates whose financial back ground is not sound didn’t full fill their dreams.Irony is that until now the J&K state Government has not put any proposal on board for LEET admissions in state Universities by increasing the intake capacity of seats.
The former PDP-BJP led state cabinet while approving to set up cluster Universities under a cabinet decision also pointed out this decision of making evening classes in state Universities to increase Gross Enrollment ratio. Giving nod for academic activities in newly established Government Engineering Colleges, Cluster Universities and starting of evening classes, will not only augment the existing higher Education facilities in J&K, but also helps in diversification of academics. So this was a positive and a well-being step which was initially taken by the Coalition Government. These significant moves will standlizing the higher Education in J&K. This concept will also provide an opportunity to students to join higher Education within the state, instead of getting trapped in the hands of un-recognized institutes outside the state, which become problematic for them.
In Today’s era the Information Technology sector, Mass communication, Broadcasting Engineering, Bio-Medical Engineering and Cyber Law is rising in Engineering sector, as it has brought about a drastic change in the way of human civilization exists today. So concentrated and collaborative efforts are needed for expanding the intake capacity of seats, Up-gradation of Engineering Branches and infrastructure Development,as the Economic progress of the nation is strongly linked with quality Education with values for all. It is therefore nessacery for state’s Higher Education Department to undertake periodic review of infrastructure Development in Engineering Programmes, so to ensure the content of our Technical Education Programmes are up to date to fulfill the technological requirements.
The demand for Technical Education has been increased in recent years, as the industrialization is increasing gradually to boost the skill oriented youth globally. As the data available with Hon’ble Ministry of Human Resource Development that the enrollment has increased more than 50% in the past decade and now exceed 150 million worldwide, with more than half of the students coming for emerging market countries. India’s enrollment has also grown from 10 million to 23 million. So it is responsibility of concerned authorities to promote quality Education in the field of Engineering and Technology in view of large expansion in Technical Education sector globally. Policies on affirmative action, financial aid, infrastructure Development, intake capacity of seats and review of Technical Education teachings should be taken with other Universities and Engineering Colleges, both in terms of Privacy, Policy, and Planning. So there must be an expansion of quality improvement in the field of Technical Education.So that our state Universities will become a dynamic, demand drawn as well as quality conscious Universities for Engineering Programmes to enhance Technical Education in Kashmir.
The Hon’ble Governor of J&K Who is also Chancellor of all state universities along with whole administrative machinery, must take immediate steps toincrease the intake capacity of seats In B-Tech Lateral Entry Engineering Programme.
(Shah Khalid is a freelance writer, having Diploma in Journalism & Mass-Communication from MANUU Hyderabad, Presently Pursuing Electrical Engineering at IUST Awantipora)
