After a wait of over a decade, the Kashmir University (KU) this year has made its Kupwara satellite campus functional. To begin with the varsity has started the admission process for the students in two five-year integrated courses at the campus.
As already reported by this newspaper, the announcement to set up a satellite campus in Kupwara district was made by the varsity administration in 2008 to make higher education easily accessible to students of the border district in north Kashmir. However, it took more than a decade for the varsity administration to make this campus functional.
The directorate of the admission and competitive exams has issued a circular inviting application from the candidates for their admission in two five-year integrated programmes for the academic year 2021.
The two courses started by the University include integrated B.Sc-M.Sc Physics and integrated B.Sc-M.Sc Energy Sciences. The introduction of these two courses at the satellite campus has been already approved by the university council.
Pertinently, the university had earlier decided to introduce a specialised program of nanotechnology but the decision was later shelved owing to inadequate infrastructure and facilities for such a specialised program.
“The candidates desirous to seek admission to such programmes at Kupwara campus in their own interest are advised to keep the necessary certificates ready. Certificate under process will not be entertained under any circumstances whatsoever,” the circular reads.
The directorate of admissions has further informed that the candidates applying under sports category must contact the director physical education and sports of the University with original national, international, state/UT level sports certificates for verification and issuance of sports category certificate as per the regulations will in advance.
“The certificate issued by the director physical education and sports of the University is only valid for admission under sports category,” the circular reads.
As per the circular, the online application for the admission in KU’s Kupwara satellite campus will be issued in April for registration of the students.
This is the second such facility in north Kashmir after the varsity administration made Delina satellite campus operational in 2009.
Besides taking higher education to the doorsteps in this district, making Kupwara campus operational would open up job opportunities for educated unemployed youth. There are around five degree colleges in Kupwara district with each college having enrollment of over 1000 to 2000 students. All these students do not get accommodated in the available intake capacity at the main campus of KU at Hazratbal and other satellite campuses.
The academicians and other stakeholders have hailed the University for making the Kupwara campus functional for students.