Tarigami seeks Deemed University status for Anantnag College

Jammu, Mar 12: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and MLA Kulgam, Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday urged Education Minister Sakina Itoo to grant deemed university status to Anantnag College.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly in Jammu during a discussion on the demand for grants, Tarigami said the college is one of the oldest institutions in the region and that the request should be considered.
Tarigami said he himself had been a student of the college, which was established in 1950, and granting it deemed university status would provide greater autonomy and benefit students. “I have studied at Anantnag College, which was established in 1950. It deserves deemed university status, which would be highly beneficial. This is my request—please consider it,” he said. “Assess its potential and limitations accordingly.”
The erstwhile Government Degree College (GDC) Boys, Anantnag, now Shaheed Himayun Government Degree College, is one of south Kashmir’s oldest institutions. Established in 1950 as an intermediate college in Anantnag town, it later moved to its current location, formerly a Maharaja’s rest house.
Its distinguished alumni include former J&K Chief Minister Mir Qasim, scholar Prof Shad Ramzan, Director of Education Dr G N Itoo, lawyer and social worker Sher Ali Boda, as well as prominent businessmen and other notable figures.
Meanwhile, MLA Kulgam urged the government to “liberate” education from consumerism and commodification. He was speaking in the Legislative Assembly on demands for grants.
Referring to the New Education Policy, the CPI(M) leader said free universal education was available in J&K long back. “In NEP, efforts are being made to distort history which is not a positive sign,” he alleged.
Referring to the privatisation of education, Tarigami expressed serious concern over the heavy fee charged by the private schools and said that poor parents are not able to afford the heavy fee. “The state government should reorient the education system in J&K so that the poor can also get the opportunity to receive quality education,” he said.
The MLA Kulgam added. “Controversies are being created about kings while history does not belong to kings. In fact, it belongs to people.”
He urged the education minister to initiate the reforms to enable education to create scientific temper among the students. Education, Tarigami said, has to be saved from the market economy.
Regarding health, Tarigami referred to SKIMS, Srinagar, saying, “This institute is providing good health care facilities to the poor and its autonomy should not be made controversial as PGI Chandigarh too is an autonomous institute and of premium quality.”
He urged the government to equip all the government hospitals and medical colleges with the necessary facilities and staff so that the patients of J&K are not forced to go outside the state for treatment as is happening at present.
Tarigami also demanded the raising of emoluments provided to ASHA workers. Referring to the plight of daily wagers, he said if the UT of Ladakh has been paying higher minimum wages to different categories of workers why cannot Jammu and Kashmir do so? He also demanded an increase in the monthly pension of the physically challenged persons.