Srinagar, June 10: Coaching Centres Association (CCA) of Kashmir has condemned the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s opposition to setting up of new IIT’s and IIM’s by terming it as an anti-education policy.
The association said that instead of welcoming the central policy and giving suggestions to improve them, CM has outrightly voiced his opposition to a plan that could have expanded the reach of these quality institutes to more students. “Over the years there has been a population explosion and the seats in these premier institutes need to be increased,” said G N Var, chairman CCA. “So when centre proposes to set up IIM and IIT in every state, one should welcome it and not oppose it to mar the chances of deserving students.”
The association said that increasing both the quantity and quality of these institutes is necessary. “We cannot oppose new institutes by saying that old ones have less infrastructure. Work can be undertaken on both fronts at the same time,” said Var. “We have to prepare for future and for that we need more institutes.”
The association said that the state has a dismal record in higher education and such statements don’t help either. “We have one of the lowest seats in higher education in entire India. Every year thousands of students have to move out to study,” said Var. “New IITs and IIMs will help our students too and our CM should have welcomed it instead of opposing.”
The association said that instead of increasing professional seats in Jammu and Kashmir, CM is scuttling new possibilities for them.
The association asked the CM to have a realistic look at the education sector in Kashmir and take some drastic steps to save the future of Kashmiri students. “We are at a brink of a disaster. Our school are defunct, teachers don’t work, colleges are in shambles, polytechnic colleges are understaffed and even universities fail to deliver,” said Var. “We need a complete overhaul of our education sector if we want our future to be bright.”