Pulwama, Nov 12: Minister for Education, Health & Medical Education, and Social Welfare, Sakina Masood Itoo, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing free education from Class 1 to university level in Jammu and Kashmir. She made the statement while addressing a gathering at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora, during the National Academia-Industry Conclave on Tuesday.
During her address, the Minister praised IUST for its proactive implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. She congratulated the university for not only adopting NEP 2020 but also contributing significantly to its success, calling it a “major achievement.”
“IUST has not just implemented NEP 2020 but has also ensured its success. This is a significant achievement, and I commend you for it,” Itoo said, recognizing IUST as the best and most suc-cessful university in South Kashmir.
Reflecting on the university’s foundation in 2005, the Minister stressed the importance of con-tinuing the journey that began nearly two decades ago and encouraged students to share the knowledge and skills they have gained at IUST with others.
“Your greatest contribution to society will be transmitting knowledge to others,” she said, em-phasizing the government’s focus on education and the need for community support. “The gov-ernment cannot work in isolation; we need suggestions and support from society.”
She reiterated the government’s commitment to making education accessible from Class 1 to uni-versity level at no cost to the people of J&K.
The Minister also called on IUST authorities to prioritize the promotion of the Kashmiri language on campus. “Unfortunately, we do not promote our mother tongue, Kashmiri, which is a loss for us,” she said, noting that people in other regions, such as Punjab, take pride in promoting their regional languages.
“I urge the Vice-Chancellor, faculty members, and students to converse in Kashmiri as well,” she added, pointing out that many young people are unable to understand the language. “I’ve seen many children struggle to converse with their grandparents in Kashmiri,” she said, emphasizing the importance of starting language education at home.
“It is essential for us to introduce and promote Kashmiri. Teaching children that it is their mother tongue is crucial for preserving our culture,” the Minister stressed.
Itoo also encouraged IUST graduates to contribute to job creation by investing in the private sec-tor, helping to further the economic development of the region.
