Governor N.N Vohra, Chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-J), stressed the importance of inter-university collaborations in academics, research and extension activities of the Farm Universities for increasing agriculture production in the State. The Governor was chairing the 14th Council meeting of SKUAST-J, here at the Raj Bhavan, yesterday. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Pro Chancellor of the University, participated in the discussions.The Chancellor advised the VC to take all required steps for filling up of all vacant seats both in UG as well as PG programmes and designing student exchange programmes with other State Farm Universities of North India. He appreciated the VC’s efforts to strengthen the Counselling and Placement Cell in the University and advised him to take all required steps for improving the placement percentage of pass-outs in the University.
The Chancellor advised the VC to give practical shape to the prepared blue print for giving boost to the area-specific specialized farming in the State; to conduct regular training programmes in far flung areas of the State for upgrading post harvest skills of people in the rural and backward areas to improve their economic status and stressed the need to set up a mechanism for the qualitative assessment of research projects which should be audited with respect to administrative, financial and technical impediments.The Chief Minister and the Pro-Chancellor advised the VC to adopt 4-5 villages in the vicinity of the University, perhaps in R.S. Pura, where the students of the University would do field work not only for acquiring practical knowledge but also for contributing towards improving the cropping pattern and introduction of commercially viable ancillary activities. As he had observed in the Council Meeting of SKUAST-K the Pro-Chancellor stressed the need to promote dairy and poultry farming with enhanced private sector participation. He also advised the University’s participation in the revival of sericulture in the State.
The Council approved the proposal of Directorate of Research for the upgradation of Dry Land Research Sub-Station to Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture, Dhansar and establishment of Advanced Centre for Horticulture, Udheywalla, by restructuring the various stations of SKUAST-J. To overcome the prolonged delays involved in land acquisition for setting up of KVKs, the Council decided that all future KVKs should be established in the State-owned farms, wherever available in the districts.Mr. Abdul Rehman Bhat, Minister for Horticulture; Mr. Bali Bhagat, Minister for Forests, Mr. Sajjad Gani Lone, Minister for Animal Husbandry; and Mr. Ghulam Nabi Lone, Minister for Agriculture; urged both the VCs to optimally utilize all the existing resources at the disposal of the Farm Universities for speedy development of agriculture and its allied sectors.
Earlier, Dr. Pradeep K. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST, Jammu, presented a detailed report on the status of teaching, research and extension activities undertaken by the varsity. He dwelt on the achievements of the University in varied fields. He also gave details of the various ongoing research projects and those in the pipeline.Among those who attended the meeting were Mr. B. R. Sharma, Chief Secretary; Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Kashmir; Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana; Mr. P.K. Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Mr. Navin K. Choudhary; Commissioner, Finance; Mr. M.A Bukhari, Commissioner, Agriculture Production Department; and Mr. B.B. Gupta, Registrar, SKUAST-J.