Minister of School Education, Haj & Auqaf and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, called on the Union Minister for Human Resource Development Parkash Javadekar here today.On the occasion, Zulfkar urged the Union Minister for the establishment of 50 residential schools of par excellence with an intake capacity of 50000 students in Jammu and Kashmir.He asked the Union Minister to provide adequate grants for modernization of seminaries across the state so that the students there also became competent to compete with new challenges of the world by knowing modern subjects like English, Maths, Science and Computers.The Minister also asked for support for the start of the students and teachers exchange programme to remove the misgivings about Kashmir in the rest of country and vice versa besides being an opportunity for educational exposure.Zulfkar told Javadekar to provide an adequate number of High and Higher Secondary Schools under RMSA in the Jammu and Kashmir.It was said that the Union Minister agreed to provide all possible support to provide up-gradation of schools in the aspirational districts of Jammu & Kashmir viz; Baramulla and Kupwara in the first phase.Zulfkar also sought special assistance to establish school for specially-abled children in all the 22 districts of the state.
He also took up the matter of deficit salary of the SSA Teachers amounting to Rs. 1162.01 crore. He also discussed the issues related to RMSA regarding providing of better infrastructure, furniture, adequate sanitation facilities in the schools and enhancement in the cost of uniform keeping in view the GST Enhancement and Climatic Conditions.The issue of providing more ICT and CAL centres in Elementary and Secondary Education was discussed for providing quality education to students in internet-connected smart classrooms and computer labs. The Union Minister assured that all possible efforts shall be taken to provide ICT and CAL Centres in the remaining educational institutions.The issue of upgradation of civil works in the schools and Girls Hostel, where construction cannot be taken up due to non-availability of land and other issues were also taken up in the meeting and it was assured that the necessary steps in this regard shall be taken by the MHRD on priority.During the meeting, Zulfkar urged the Union Minister for the opening of Kendriya Vidyalays, Jawahar Navodya Vidyalays in the state to provide quality education to the students living in the border and far-flung areas of the state.The Union Minister agreed to provide five (5) Kendriya Vidyalays in the Border districts of the state. He assured the Minister to give the due consideration to the issues raised in the meeting.The meeting was attended by PS to Union HRD Minister Mandeep.K. Bhandari, Secretary School Education Department J&K Farooq Shah, State Project Director SSA Abdul Rashid War, Director School Education-Kashmir G.N. Itoo, Director School Education-Jammu R.K. Srangal.