Srinagar, June 2: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday said “a balance between expansion and consolidation” is vital to meaningful growth and development of various sectors.
 Interacting with students of Kashmir University here after inaugurating a new Girls Hostel and laying foundation of proposed Boys Hostel in the campus, Omar said his government has “concentrated on consolidation aspect during the first two years of its tenure to operationalise the infrastructure and ensure smooth functioning of health and educational institutions to the benefit of the people.” “We provided equipment, faculty, staff and other related requirements to these institutions to utilize the infrastructure in a proper manner,” Omar, who is also the KU’s Pro-Chancellor, said. “For this reason the consolidation aspect was given a priority. The government also focused on providing clean classrooms, proper desks, and proper drinking water and sanitation facilities to these institutions. How can you imagine a Girls School without proper sanitation facility? My government has underlined this aspect as an important one in the process of establishment of educational institutions.”
 Omar, who took a number of questions from the students, said the state government “is actively expanding the government-job ambit for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. “Yet addressing the unemployment problem does not lie exclusively in providing government employment to the young educated youth. We have opened many windows for this purpose including introduction of SKEWPY, Skills Development Mission, encouragement of MSME sector, enhancement of employability of educated youth under Uddan and Himayat schemes, besides roping in corporate sector for making campus recruitments,” Omar said.
 He said that courses of “marketability and modern relevance are being introduced at the higher education level in the state.” “Various universities and their satellite campuses functioning across the state are offering new subjects and concentrating on imparting modern studies of science and technology to the students so that they are easily absorbed in the open market.” Omar said.
 He said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are second to none in talent, intelligence and resilience. “On providing opportunity you will certainly prove your caliber at all levels,” he told the students, referring to success of a good number of students from J&K in the All India Civil Service Examinations 2011-12.
 In reply to a question, Omar said he would discuss the issue of introducing modern science subjects in the newly opened degree colleges in the state. “There is urgent need of starting such courses so that students choose subjects of their choice to study further,” he said.
 The KU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Talat Ahmad asserted that “by participating in the interaction session with the Chief Minister, the students have had an opportunity to get direct answers to their questions from the head of the state and Pro-Chancellor of the University.”
 Prof Talat appreciated the Chief Minister’s efforts in taking keen interest in the development of KU’s Main and Satellite Campuses.
 Earlier, Omar inaugurated Qurat-ul-Ayn Haider Girls Hostel at the main Campus. The 296 bedded Hostel with adequate facilities has been constructed at a cost of over Rs. 5.40 crores.
 The main highlights of the five-storyed hostel building includes 57 rooms to accommodate 296 female students and research scholars, reading hall, browsing centre, dining hall, kitchen, lobby and washroom blocks.
 The Chief Minister also laid foundation of Sheikh-ul-Alam (RA) Boys Hostel block at Zakura which shall accommodate 400 boys. The construction involves an expenditure of approximately Rs. 20.70 crores.
 It will provide a suitable environment to the students at Zakura Campus and this campus will come up in two phases. The New Zakura Campus is proposed to be developed on scientific lines. 18 departments/centres including Boys Hostel, Science Centre, B-Tech/Engineering Block, Social Work Block, Shah-I-Hamdan Institute of Islamic Studies, Business School, Law School, Bio-Research Block, Geography Department, Gymnasium, Pharmaceutical Block are expected to come up in Zakura campus .

Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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