Pulwama, Apr 09: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday informed the Legislative Assembly that new courses can be introduced at Government Polytechnic College Udhampur based on future demand and necessity.
The government also stated that a proposal to establish a new Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in the Moungri-Pancheri area of the Udhampur West Assembly Constituency is under active consideration.
The information was provided in response to an Un-Starred Assembly Question tabled by MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta.
It was told that Government Polytechnic Udhampur, established in 2012, currently offers three engineering streams — Civil Engineering, Automobile Engineering, and Computer Engineering — with a combined intake capacity of 150 students. The Computer Engineering stream was added in 2023 to meet growing demand in the region.
The Department of Skill Development clarified that more branches can be added and the intake capacity increased if the need arises in the future.
Regarding speculation around the use of the existing ITI Udhampur building for temporary accommodation of MBBS classes for the Government Medical College Udhampur, the department confirmed that no such proposal exists and no funds have been earmarked for this purpose.
The department highlighted that the ITI has been operational for over 50 years, offering 14 trades with an intake capacity of 368 students, and plays a crucial role in skill development for local youth. Shifting the ITI, officials warned, could result in de-affiliation from NCVET, which would deprive students of national-level certifications.
The government further noted that the District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, had been requested to reconsider the proposal of temporarily using the ITI building, keeping in view the long-term impact on vocational training in the district.
