Jammu: Attending the 53rd Foundation Day function of the University of Jammu (JU), Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday said that the establishment of the Special Purpose Vehicle Foundation at the JU was a significant step that would help promote startup culture, industry-academic partnership, and innovation and incubation in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that observing that the world was changing rapidly and education too was changing rapidly, the LG said that to cater to the ever-growing demand for better standards and quality of education, JU had gone through many changes in the last 53 years and had evolved as a centre of excellence.
He congratulated the faculty and all those associated with the functioning of the varsity for achieving great milestones, shaping young minds, and increasing collaboration between academia and the industry.
Invoking the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the LG asserted that the New Education Policy (NEP) would redefine education in universities and expressed his wholehearted support for the initiatives of the varsity.
“NEP stresses nurturing creativity, curiosity, collaboration, and involvement of students in activities inside and beyond the classroom. The education policy is a beacon of light to guide and motivate teachers as well as students and overall learning outcomes,” he said.
The LG emphasised that the real function of education was to nurture talents. “NEP provides us an opportunity to develop our universities and education institutions as centres of future-oriented, value-based, quality-education centres where students get an independent environment to innovate and invent,” he said. “Education is the key to opening the mind of students. Individual growth and independent thinking are possible only when a student is provided an environment not confined to the classroom and gets an opportunity to nurture creativity and wisdom.”
The LG said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there was an opportunity to make sure that universities were not known as centres of providing degrees but education and increasing the collaboration between teachers and students.
“Students don’t just need the degree, they need education and it is possible only with increased involvement and collaboration with the teachers,” he said.
Highlighting the major initiatives of JU, the LG attributed the establishment of the Special Purpose Vehicle Foundation in November 2020 as a major milestone and a significant step towards promoting a culture of start-ups, industry-academic partnership, and innovation and incubation in J&K.
He said that the establishment of the Guru Nanak Chair was in line with the NEP as it was a major initiative to re-establish the significance of invaluable cultural heritage.
“The ancient wisdom by saints and seers and contribution of great scientists is what forms the foundation of modern India,” the LG said and urged all the teachers to dedicate themselves to opening the minds of their students to new ideas, stirring curiosity, and nurturing creativity by creating an open environment for their growth and eventually facilitating in building a new society in the future.
The LG also released the Dogri translation of the Indian Constitution by Prof Archana Kesar and her team of Dogri writers and translators, Prakash Premi, Yashpaul Nirmal, and Nirmal Vikram under the legal guidance of JU Registrar and Dean Faculty of Law, Prof Arvind Jasrotia.
Chancellor K R Mangalam University and former Vice Chancellor Delhi University Prof Dinesh Singh, who was the special guest on the occasion spoke about the traditional Upanishadic System of learning of India which produced great minds and spiritual leaders who understood the essential role of education which was to anchor the individual in his sense of self which further led to excellence.
He also stressed trans-disciplinary learning and collaborative projects.
Citing the example of great scientists, Prof Singh underlined the importance of the social utility of knowledge and how practical experience also plays an important role in the growth of education and knowledge.
Earlier, welcoming the Chancellor and LG Sinha on the occasion, Vice Chancellor Umesh Rai gave an overview of the path-breaking initiatives taken by LG to revamp the education ecosystem in J&K.
He gave an overview of the strides taken by the varsity since its inception in 1969.
Rai also spelled out broad contours of academic activities strategised for years to come, keeping in view the emerging trends in the field of education.
The VC also thanked the present and former faculty, people from the civil society, and all other stakeholders of the varsity for their contribution to making JU one of the best seats of higher learning in this part of the country.
A wide variety of cultural activities were also showcased by the students, alumni, and eminent artists of Jammu on the occasion. Mayor JMC Chander Mohan Gupta, VC SMVDU Prof Ravinder Kumar Sinha, VC SKUAST-Jammu Prof J P Sharma, VC Cluster University Jammu Prof Bechan Lal, VC Cluster University Srinagar Prof Qayyum Hussain, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department Vivek Bhardwaj, Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department Rohit Kansal, Director IIM Jammu Prof BS Sahay, and Director IIT Jammu Prof Manoj Singh Gaur attended the foundation day ceremony.
ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh, Deputy Mayor Jammu Purnima Sharma, and Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar were also present on the occasion.
