Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha addressed the foundation day celebration of Cluster University, Jammu at Padma Shri Padma Sachdev Government PG College for Women, Gandhi Nagar.
Congratulating the Cluster University for achieving excellence in quality education, the Lt Governor said that the University, established on 1st March 2017 with five Constituent Colleges, is playing its role of a change agent, with focus on skill development and to transform the vibrant institutions as the centers of new ideas and discoveries.
The Lt Governor highlighted the important role of college campuses & class rooms in enriching the society, creating and nurturing the best talents and stressed upon the necessary changes in sync with the National Education Policy.
“In a new era, the education system & role of a teacher needs to adapt to fast-changing world. Teacher is not just a disseminator of knowledge. A teacher is the one who imparts different skill sets, ignites creativity, innovation in young generation to live a better life,” said the Lt Governor.
The new invention will not be born out of memories of the past or books, but from a free mind, from a young mind full of curiosity. To make the curiosity, innovation, invention, lifeblood of academic institutions, we must implement recommendations of national education policy, the Lt Governor added.
Observing that Innovation will be a major contributor to India’s 5 trillion economy, the Lt Governor asked the educational institutions to keep pace with digitalization and future technologies.
“We must remove the burden of textbooks and instill in young students the urge for new discoveries. We must give them courage & strength to explore the unknown and not just syllabus. We should provide them with academic freedom so they get to know themselves and respect their own uniqueness,” the Lt Governor said.
Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Jammu Kashmir has emerged as the hub of education in the country. Our agriculture Universities are also going global. We must enable universities to contribute to India’s knowledge economy, the Lt Governor observed.
All the educational institutions will have to keep pace with evolving world, he added.
The Lt Governor also spoke on the growth registered in various sectors including tourism, industries, livelihood generation, sports and the measures taken to improve services for the people.
Entire J&K administration is working towards the welfare of common man. The time has gone when J&K’s administration was running at the whims and fancies of some handful of people with vested interests, said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor said 20,000 vacant posts in administration will be filled soon. He also assured strict punishment to the culprits who are behind rigging of recruitment exam.
Speaking on the anti-encroachment drive, the Lt Governor said that the anti-encroachment drive only retrieved the land from the big and influential land grabbers who had illegally occupied large chunks of state land and if any poor person was affected by anti encroachment drive, strict action will be taken against the concerned officers.
The Lt Governor asked the educational institutions and students to collectively participate in the conduct of G20 meeting in J&K. Be the socio-cultural ambassadors of J&K and make the world aware of the diversity of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
Educational institutions should also dedicate themselves to actively provide solutions to local problems, the Lt Governor said.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor inaugurated the Laboratory block of School of Sciences of Cluster University of Jammu and laid foundation stone for Examination block to be come up at a cost of Rs 39.35 crores.
The Lt Governor also felicitated students who excelled in Yuvatarang-2023.
Sh RR Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Chief Secretary, and Sh Bechan Lal, VC, Cluster University of Jammu shared the journey of making of the Cluster University of Jammu, highlighting the achievements of the University and the reforms introduced in the education sector.
