The State Government has ordered creation of 124 posts for two Cluster Universities to be established one each in Srinagar and Jammu.According to an order issued by the Higher Education Department, each Cluster University will be headed by a Vice-Chancellor. The other posts created for these varsities include one post each of Registrar and Assistant Registrar, 36 posts of Assistant Professors, two posts of Accounts Officers, two posts of Assistant Director (Planning & Statistics), two posts of Estates Officer, two posts of Private Secretary, two posts of Section Officers, two posts of Personal Assistant, two posts of Statistical Officer, two posts of Head Assistant, two posts of Statistical Assistant, four posts of Junior Librarian, two posts of Hostel Warden, two posts of Accountant, four posts of Accounts Assistant, two posts of Senior Assistant, four posts of Junior Assistant, four posts of Library Assistant, six posts of Laboratory Assistant, six posts of Lab Bearer, six posts of Library Bearer, 20 posts of Orderlies and four posts of Chowkidar.Pertinently, the legislation for establishment of two Cluster Universities in J&K was passed during the Budget Session of the State Legislature earlier this year.These Cluster Universities are to be established under Rashtriya Ucchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), for which the process of building infrastructure has also been set into motion. Each Cluster University will be spread in five existing Government colleges in the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu where some new faculties would be also established.
The Cluster University in Jammu will be functioning in GGM Science College, Government MAM College, SPMR College of Commerce, Government College for Women Gandhi Nagar and Government College of Education, Canal Road while the Cluster University in Srinagar will comprise Amar Singh College, SP College Srinagar, Women’s College MA Road, GDC Bemina and the College of Education, Srinagar. The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has sanctioned Rs 55 crore for the each cluster university.Ten schools of different faculties will be opened in these cluster universities where a number of course, including Post Graduation, Under Graduation and Diploma, in different subjects and streams will be introduced. Each Cluster University will have one nucleus college with an Administration Block, Central Library and an auditorium. For the Cluster University Jammu, GGM Science College will act as the nucleus college while for the Cluster University Srinagar, Amar Singh College is the nucleus college.At the Cluster University Jammu, School of Sciences will be made functional at GGM Science College, School of Humanities and Arts at MAM College, School of Social Sciences at SPMR College, School of Technologies at GDC Gandhi Nagar and School of Teaching Education at Government B Ed College Canal Road.Similarly at the Cluster University Srinagar, School of Sciences will be opened in GDC Bemina, School of Teaching Education in Government College of Education Srinagar, School of Social Sciences in SP College Srinagar, School of Engineering and Technology in Women College MA Road and School of Humanities & Liberal Art in Amar Singh College.
“Setting up of Cluster Universities, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, will not only augment the existing higher education facilities in J&K, but help diversification of the academics with introduction of latest job-intensive courses at the graduate, post-graduate and diploma levels,” Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar said.“The move shall go a long way in expanding access to higher education by increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in the State,” he added.With the setting up of two Cluster Universities in J&K, the total number of Universities in the State will go up to 11.J&K already has nine universities including University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, Central University Kashmir, Central University Jammu, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Islamic University of Science and Technology, SKUAST-Kashmir, SKUAST-Jammu and Mata Vaishnov Devi University.Besides there are six satellite campuses of the University of Jammu and University of Kashmir in the State. These include North Campus Delina, South Campus Anantnag, Leh Campus and Kargil Campus affiliated with Kashmir University and Kathua and Bhaderwah Campuses, affiliated with Jammu University.