Army in league with the State Education Department Thursday organized a seminar titled, ‘Education in Kashmir: A Prism of Possibilities for the Youth and Future Leadership’. The seminar was organized in the lawns of Chasme-e-Shahi here.In a statement to CNS, Army said that a very renowned set of panelists that included Shaleen Kabra,IAS, A H Baba, Prof Vijaya Laxmi, Saleem Parvez, Prof Sunil Wanchoo and Mrs Ashima Kaul as Moderator carried the proceedings through five very absorbing sessions which saw the confluence of noted academicians, educationalists, students, journalists and Army personnel.The seminar commenced with the opening remarks by Maj Gen Asit Mistry, Kilo Force Commander. It was followed by the Key Note Address delivered by Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Chinar Corps Commander who highlighted the pivotal role that education plays in defining the very character of humanity. Thanking the esteemed panelists and the audience present, he expressed hope that the seminar would throw new, vibrant and dynamic ideas for the betterment of the educational system in the valley and therefore the people.
The panelists addressed the important themes of Status of Education in Kashmir, Quality Education: a Dream for Kashmir, Role of Education in Peace Building, Goodwill School as a Concept, and Education as Key in Shaping Young Minds and the Future Leadership which generated interesting discussion and discourse.Appreciating the yeoman service being rendered by the Army in empowerment of the youth in the Valley especially in the field of education, the Chief Secretary Mr Md Iqbal Khandey complimented the organizers and expressed hope that such initiatives would bring about desired direction in the our educational system. He also stressed on the need for moral education based on comparative study of different religions.
The seminar also highlighted the model of Army Goodwill Schools, which as an integral subset of the overall educational infrastructure in Kashmir, aims at affording quality education and thus opportunities to the children of remote areas.The participation of the audience, which included academicians, media persons and students from local colleges and Kashmir University, was excellent. A number of very relevant points were raised, especially by the students who spoke from firsthand experience. The entire gathering was unanimously appreciative of the incisive observations, points and recommendations made by these young ignited minds during the course of the seminar.The Chinar Corps Commander in his concluding remarks reinforced the need to sustain concerted steps by all stakeholders in ensuring progressive improvement in all spheres of education to enable the future leadership which is the youth of Kashmir to face any future challenges. (CNS)