A high level meeting between Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javadekar and Jammu & Kashmir State Education Minister Shri Altaf Bukhari was held today here in New Delhi over Education related matters in the state. Shri Altaf Bukhari was accompanied by Smt. Priya Seth MoS Education J&K Government besides senior officers from the HRD Ministry and the State Government. Later Shri Prakash Javadekar briefed the media about the decision taken during the meeting.Shri Javadekar said this year we have granted 52 Crore Rupees for the two sanctioned Engineering Colleges in the State under RUSA. Of which 25 Crore Rupees will be issued this week. These Engineering College will be situated at Sapakora in Kashmir valley and at Kathua in Jammu and tutorial work will begin this year itself despite the fact that construction of buildings will be completed in another two years. This decision of immediate start of tutorial work will benefit students definitely.He said now Scholarship will also be available to Polytechnic students just like the Engineering students.
Shri Javadekar said under the Pradhan Mantri Scholarship Scheme 5000 students of J&K are given scholarship to pursue their Higher Education in Engineering, Medical, Management and Hospitality sector in different colleges spread across the country every year. Until now the quota of seats was two seats per sector per college which have been now enhanced to Ten seats. Now the scholarship will be applicable to enhanced quota also. Shri Javadekar said the commissioning work for the permanent campus of IIM Jammu has also began and a committee of experts will go to Jammu within a week to assess the suitability of the land offered by the State Government for this purpose and a final decision will be taken later on.The Minister also informed of constructing 7 Hostels for the girls students in the state. He said 50 Crore Rupees have been sanctioned for the construction of these Hostels at Bemina, Paloda, Thatri, Rajouri, Kupwada, Pulwama and Kargil. Of these Bemina and Paloda will have big hostels for which a grant of 12.5 Crore Rupees each will be provided. The rest hostels will be constructed at a cost of Rupees 5 Crore each.
Shri Javadekar said girls of J&K are education seekers and they like getting educated so we have taken this decision for a thrust of their proper quality education. He said 200 Crore Rupees have been sanctioned from our special fund for paying the salary dues of primary teachers in the state as a relief measure. We will continue to solve other related problems in future too, the Minister added. The Minister also informed of sanctioning the recurring grant of rupees 34 Crore to Secondary Education in the state in this week itself.Shri Prakash Javadekar said Rupees 19500 Crore under the special package to the state as announced by the Prime Minister earlier have already been released this week. This is bound to benefit the state in many ways as it will help in building better atmosphere for education. This Minister praised the quest of the students of the state for attaining quality education. He said the State Government is constantly monitoring the education status and environment in the Schools and Colleges regularly and both the Ministers from the state are in continuous dialogue with the students. Shri Javadekar while referring to the disturbed situation in the state said despite the incidents of burning of schools there has been a 98-99 percent attendance of students. It shows the desire and quest of students for their quality education. The Minister said this very quest is Kashmiriyat itself because in his opinion education is a biggest tool to uplift an individual, family and society at large and the people of Jammu & Kashmir valley are aware of this fact.