Awantipora (Pulwama), July 18: Saying that accessibility to higher and technical education is focal point in his government’s new education policy, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday highlighted the need for introducing modern market oriented subjects in higher educational curriculum.
“There is need to impart education in subjects of present and future relevance to the students in the universities and colleges so that they are easily absorbed in job market”, he said adding that present age is the age of science and technology. “We have to develop a new generation of capable and knowledgeable people enough to fit in the changing scenario of scientific advancement”, he said.
Taking review of the achievements and functions of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), here, the Chief Minister who is also Chancellor of the University called for cultivating educational temperament in educational institutions and making academic excellence and moral fineness benchmark in studies.
Omar said that befitting faculties and infrastructure are necessary part in the growth and development of higher education. He said his government is concentrating on this issue vigorously. “We have underlined consolidation as an important concern in the development policy”, he added and said that consolidation is taking place simultaneously with the expansion process.
The Chief Minister said that growth of universities and creation of new offsite campuses alongwith setting up of scores of degree colleges, polytechnics and ITIs in the State during last over three years besides providing faculties and infrastructure to the educational institutions indicates the keenness of his government to universalize higher and technical education alongwith elementary studies.
Expressing satisfaction over the progress of Islamic University during the last three years, the Chief Minister hoped that the university would continue its march to achieve new highs. He said that government would extend all possible help to the university. The Chief Minister was presented detailed brief about the functioning and progress of the university by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdul Rashid Trag. He said that as against the total enrolment of 186 students in the university in 2006, the current enrolment has gone up to 1830 this year. He said 16 courses of including BTech Computer Science and Engineering, Electronic and Communication, Food Technology, Civil Engineering, BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, BBA, BTech Electrical Engineering, MBA, MCA, MSc. Food Technology, M.A Islamic Studies, Arabic, English, Mass Communication, International Relations and MSc. IT. He said that out of 2783 students enrolled so far in the university, as many as 975 have passed out of the university.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST