Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Tribal Affairs Departments (TAD) on Saturday approved a series of reforms for the hostels across Jammu and Kashmir to provide state-of-the-art educational facilities to tribal students and focus on outcome-based quality education and skilling.
The Union Territory-level committee headed by Secretary, TAD, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary approved a number of measures and schemes to be launched with immediate effect from the current academic year for providing such facilities, an official said.
The approval was given at a meeting which was among others attended by special secretary, Harun Malik, secretary Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, Mukhtar Ahmed Choudhary, director Tribal Affairs, Mushir Ahmed Mirza and financial Advisor Ashok Thukaan.
In a significant move, the official said, the department approved the “Technology Enabled Education Scheme” for hostel students under which students enrolled in Class 11, 12 and PG courses will be provided tabs-PCs with pre-loaded study material including books, animations, mind-maps, resource material and references.
The students will be allowed to own the tab even after being relieved from hostels on completion of course, he said, adding over 1,000 students studying in notified classes will be provided these tabs before July 31.
The official said the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) has been entrusted with course and content design for tabs and providing to students.
The tuition system in hostels was also given a boost with enhancement in the honorarium for tutors increasing it from the existing rates of Rs 1,000, Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500 for tutors of Classes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11 and 12 to Rs 3000, Rs 4500 and Rs 6000 per month, respectively, a three-four times hike, the official said.
In an endeavour to provide educational facilities to the students throughout the year, he said the TAD has notified that hostels will operate and remain functional for 12 months instead of the present 10-month a year system in vogue.
“Special courses will be run during the vacation period for skilling of students including tribal students volunteering to enroll for such courses,” the official said.
He said the committee also accorded approval for 75 percent enhancement in the daily diet rate increasing it to Rs 175 per student per day with immediate effect, up from existing Rs 100 per student per day and further recommended enhancement to Rs 300 per student per day to be taken up in revised estimates of budget.
The official said the committee also reviewed the proposal for 25 new hostels which are being approved for current financial year at a cost of Rs 100 crore and completion of languishing hostels, many of which were pending in absence of requisite approvals and codal formalities for past many years.
