Mir Mukhtar Ahmed
Lack of Higher, professional and Technical Educational institutes in Valley drain Rs 3300 Cr annually to other states. The quality & standard of majority of these institutes is not equal to ours. Nature has bestowed kashmir valley with treasures of Knowledge. Valley has been the centre of learning from time immemorial. Our Sufi Saints have spread the knowledge of love & peace here. From Academic to professional & Technical Education, we have lead side by side with other states. Valley has produced great Doctors, engineers, academicians & artists. Being far-flung & cut from rest of the world maximum time during the year, minimum facilities for learning and limited sources, valley students have not gave up and worked hard in the field of study. Out of 801 universities across India, we have just 12 against 76 universities of a backward state like Rajasthan. During last 4 decades all other states have developed the infrastructure of educational institutes of their states except us. Before ten we hardly had 10 Degree colleges in whole valley with mere two universities UOK & SKUAST K.
During the turmoil parents had no option other than to admit their wards in out of state institutes of learning Academic professional or technical education due to lack of these institutes of higher learning. Though some of these institutes can’t compete our higher secondary institutes in quality education, but it was need of the hour to save the precious life of our future. Since the inception of state governments nothing has been done in the field of higher & technical education. Every year thousands of pass out students are bound to get admitted in out of state institutes, due to less intake capacity of our universities & colleges. Every year we loose billions to other states like ME, Punjab, Chittisgarh, UP, UTTRAKHAND, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra & AP etc. On an estimation we loose 3300 Cr annually towards other states. Government has not prepared a concrete policy to get the state out of this menace. For a backward state like Rajasthan, if there are 76 universities for 32 , we need at least 5 such institutes of higher learning & a Post Graduate college in every Tehsil of valley.
To develop our education sector we need a Careful planning and location of new institutions. Adoption of the policy of selective admission on the basis of merit. Admission rules incorporated. Reservation for talented ececonomically weaker students to pursue their studies on whole time basis. Self financing courses. The most priority should be given to quality education. There is an urgent need of opening new colleges, which will provide the bulk of all higher education in the valley. Several job oriented programmes can be started in these colleges. Nearly 10 to 12 percent of affiliated colleges are administered by government, but the vast majority, about 85 percent for the country as a whole is supported by private agencies. By establishing these institutions, we can provide jobs to our talented high qualified youth in every Tehsil & provide education at doorsteps. Further the Money which is drained to other states will be utilised in our own state like. Government must ensure a new education policy, so that we can cater our lot here & save them from clutches of radical elements. This will a change in social background size and management. It will be surprising that the standards these institutions will show great variations. At one end there are few institutions which maintain very high standards and on the other end there are a large number of small and weak institutions which are hardly better than secondary schools in other states will automatically vanish.
.In order to enrich the quality of education of these institutes adequate proper planning and location of affiliated colleges, improvement in the existing system of affiliation and the revision of the system grants-in-aid of the state governments should be on priority. Problem of administration, provision of adequate finance etc. are some of the allied problems which may hinder the enrichment of higher education. If the higher education has to become more meaningful and purposeful, such problems should be solved carefully by giving the responsibility to experienced educationists. It is all the more necessary that the universities should maintain high standards of teaching, training and research, without which they cannot turn out individuals with integrated personalities, sound characters, disciplined minds, scholarly and scientific pursuits and qualities of leadership’ committed to national progress and national development. The business houses of the valley must come forward for establishing these institutes to save our future generations from wrath of antisocial elements. We have enough resources with which we can handle our valley. Year 2008, 2010 & 2016 is witness to that.
(The author is freelancer. Views are his own)
