Srinagar: Terrorism is the biggest threat to peace and development, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday even as he emphasized the importance of investing in human capital and educational infrastructure for J&K’s economic growth.
According to an official press release, addressing a function at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) in the Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the LG also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the Red Fort car blast on November 10.
“I pay homage to the victims of the terror attack near Red Fort on November 10, and express sympathies with their families,” he said.
Sinha said it is a fact that terrorism is the biggest threat to peace and development and is its greatest enemy. “It not only spreads hate and violence among the people, but also weakens the brotherhood and unity among the public,” he added.
Emphasising that terrorism has devastated the lives of the youth of J&K over the last three decades, the LG said, “Today, our youth are fulfilling their aspirations, but the neighbouring country and its supporters, the terror elements, cannot tolerate it. They want to kill your dreams through terror in J&K and the country.”
Calling for collective responsibility to destroy the terror ecosystem, Sinha said it is the duty of the public to identify such elements and inform the security forces.
The LG stressed that J&K has experienced significant peace in the last few years. “The people of J&K have tasted peace in the last five-six years, and the number of peace stakeholders in J&K has increased,” he added.
“We have created massive infrastructure in five years and now young professionals must focus on development strategies to change J&K’s fortunes,” Sinha said.
He said the “massive investment in the last few years in human capital, research & development, incubation centres and university’s infrastructure will drive J&K’s economic growth.:
The LG also highlighted the transformation of IUST since 2021 and significant milestones achieved by the university in enrolment, startups incubation, sustainability, research and innovation.
“Academic programmes increased from 41 to 90 between 2021 and 2025, offering interdisciplinary and cutting-edge courses like AI, Robotics, Design Your Own Degree, Space Technology, Data Sciences, Apprenticeship based UG level Skill courses. Applications in multiple disciplines are up from 3,000 in 2021 to 7,600 in 2025, with increased diversity from across J&K and beyond,” the LG said.
He said that before 2021, external funding of IUST for research was merely Rs 2 crore annually. In four years, more than Rs 69 crore external funding was achieved for research.
“From a ‘zero’ start-up in 2021, the university has grown to incubate 93 start-ups in the last four years, hosted over 225 incubatees, and nurtured award-winning innovations in renewable energy, healthcare, and IT. 32 patents granted, 77 patents have been published, 33 more filed; additionally, two faculty ranked among top Indian scientists in their field. It is a matter of pride for IUST,” he further added.
The LG directed the IUST for research innovation in developing low-cost energy resilient houses. He also asked the university to look into the ways for effective reuse of road and building construction material and promotion of cold-mix technology for more durable roads. IUST must also provide innovative solutions for communication technology to reach remote regions without relying on traditional signal towers, he said.
