Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha on Wednesday chaired the 36th University Council Meeting of SKUAST-Kashmir, at Lok Bhavan. The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah; Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Cooperatives, Shri Javid Ahmad Dar; Chief Secretary, Shri Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma; Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Shri Shailendra Kumar; Chairman Committee on Reimagining Agriculture NITI Aayog, Dr Ashok Dalwai; DDG ICAR, Dr Yashpal Malik; Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor, Dr Mandeep K Bhandari; Vice Chancellor SKUAST Kashmir, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai; Vice Chancellor SKUAST Jammu, Dr B.N Tripathi; Commissioner Secretary, Planning Development & Monitoring Department, Ms R Alice Vaz; Registrar SKUAST Kashmir, Dr Azmat Alam Khan and other senior officials.
The Council approved several institutional reforms, including the upgradation of the Agricultural Research Information System into the Directorate of Information Technology, the Internal Quality Assurance Cell into the Directorate of Quality Assurance, and the establishment of an International Students Cell to strengthen global outreach and student support.
As part of SKUAST-Kashmir's future roadmap, three futuristic and self-sustainable flagship initiatives were proposed during the meeting: the establishment of a Centre for Agri Innovation, Analytics and Certification as a National Reference Laboratory; creation of an Agri-Startup Park to nurture and host over 50 SKUAST startup enterprises; and establishment of a Global Veterinary School as an internationally benchmarked centre for veterinary education, research and advanced clinical services.
The Lieutenant Governor commended the University’s incredible journey from local roots to global aspirations, praising its sustained growth in academics, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and international partnerships. He noted that the SKUAST-Kashmir’s transformative initiatives have the potential to position it as a leading, innovation-driven, and globally engaged agricultural university.
The Lieutenant Governor also directed the Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Kashmir, to ensure that meetings of the University Council are convened regularly, at least twice a year, for timely review of academic and administrative matters. Presenting the University Report, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai highlighted SKUAST-Kashmir's remarkable transformation from a regionally focused institution into a nationally recognized university with a clear vision of emerging as a globally competitive institution in agricultural and allied sciences.
He also shared the University’s vision of excellence in education, research, innovation and societal impact. The Vice Chancellor informed the meeting that the University has made significant gains in national rankings, developed the largest startup ecosystem among higher educational institutions in Jammu Kashmir, and recorded 123 Intellectual Property Rights including patents, trademarks and designs, reflecting a strong culture of innovation and translational research. Nearly 30 percent of the University's students now come from outside Jammu Kashmir, demonstrating its growing national outreach and academic reputation.