Jammu: Governor NN Vohra today discussed with Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Vice-Chancellors the need to make the institutions of higher education, including universities, NIT and colleges, functional in the Kashmir Valley. The meeting was held at Raj Bhawan here.PK Tripathi, Principal Secretary to Governor; Dr Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir; Prof Nazeer Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-K; Prof Mehraj-ud-Din, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir; Dr Asgar Samoon, Commissioner /Secretary, Higher Education Department; and Prof Ajaz Hussain Mir, Dean, Faculty Welfare, NIT, Srinagar, also participated in the meeting.Expressing serious concern over the irreparable damage caused to the education sector due to the recent unrest in Kashmir, the Governor reiterated the importance of the steps be taken to compensate the loss of studies. He emphasised the need for holding pending examinations in colleges and universities before the year-end so as to ensure that the students do not lose an academic year.Akhter informed the Governor that the exams of Classes X and XII had commenced with more than 95 per cent Valley students appearing in these. He said the admission to new classes in all schools shall be completed by November 25 and extra classes would be held during the winter.The Commissioner, Higher Education, said the colleges had issued notices to students for attending classes from the next week. He also said the colleges had uploaded the instruction material for the uncovered portion of the syllabus on the website of Kashmir University as well as on that of some colleges.The Governor urged Akhter to review the infrastructural impediments for timely resolution.A Raj Bhawan spokesman recalled that the Governor had on August 31 and September 14 held meetings with Akhter which were attended by all Vice-Chancellors and others to discuss issues relating to reopening of schools, colleges and universities in the Valley. In the meetings of the University Council of the Kashmir University and SKUAST, Kashmir, which were held in October, the Governor had reiterated the need to work out an action plan for required steps to be taken to make up for the loss of working days and to fix the revised schedule of the delayed examinations at all levels.During the discussions, the Governor and the minister called upon the Vice-Chancellors to devote close attention on bringing about improvement in the quality of education at the college and university levels. The Governor noted that J&K would be left behind on all fronts if it failed to urgently focus on the voids in the entire educational system.The KU Vice-Chancellor said he had held a meeting of the principals of colleges in the Valley on November 19 wherein it had been decided to conduct exams. The college principals have been asked to ensure completion and submission of registration record of their students within five days to the registration section of the university.The SKUAST, Kashmir, VC said the counselling for filling up of 456 seats in respect of undergraduate degree programmes was held in two rounds on September 7-8 and on October 15. The VC of Central University of Kashmir said the semester examination for various undergraduate programmes had already commenced and completed by the middle of December.
Hold exams before year-end: Guv
