An Initiative for Green Jammu University

University of Jammu has started an initiative for the green and clean university campus by banning the entry of four wheelers in the campus. This has been compensated by making availability of e-rickshaws in the campus from the main gate of the campus. The entry of four wheelers is allowed from the back gate of the university only up to the parking area. Meanwhile, the university authorities have allowed the entry of two wheelers into the campus so that the inconvenience is minimised. The entry of the four wheelers has been banned to minimise the emission of carbon and other pollutants. This will surely lead to a healthy atmosphere in the campus and will act as an example worth emulating for other universities and colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. Over the years there has been a tremendous rush of people into the campus seeking admissions and other academic issues. But this has been misused by various elements by reducing the campus into a picnic zone. It not only led to the unwanted traffic presence in the campus but it posed a serious threat to maintain the assets of the campus that are meant to fulfil the needs of the students who enrol for various courses. Hope this initiative will lead to similar policies meant to project the University of Jammu as the model campus. It is pertinent to mention that the NAAC peer team is scheduled to visit the University of Jammu from 11th December to 13th December. It will take stock of the various facilities being provided by the university to the students. Besides, it will evaluate the academic performance and the research initiatives of the university. It will judge the teachers performance and will interact with the students. The NAAC peer team is also scheduled to visit the Kathua Campus and the Bhaderwah Campus of the University of Jammu. University of Jammu had created various offset campuses to deliver education at doorsteps in the various districts of the Jammu region who cannot take direct benefit of quality education from the main campus. Over the years these campuses have been sustaining amid challenges. Bhaderwah Campus has achieved a kind of infrastructural development and resources have been made available to it. But the Kathua Campus of the University of Jammu has been lagging behind due to the paucity of funds and the non-availability of the permanent teachers. The Kathua Campus runs MBA,MCA, BA English(Hons.) courses besides it houses the professional engineering college-University Institute of Engineering and Technology(UIET).Barring two permanent faculty members in the MCA Department there is no permanent faculty in the campus. There are no permanent teachers that can teach the students. Even the contractual teachers serving the UIET don’t get their salaries in time. A single post was advertised and later re-advertised to fill the vacancy of the assistant professor in to teach the MBA students. It has not been filled so far. But will the filling of a single post be enough to impart the quality MBA degree? Salaries are being paid after two or three months compounding the problems of the teachers who are working under constraints as they are not even paid the basic salaries. What adds to the woes is that the supporting administrative staff is also contractual. University of Jammu needs to address these issues if it wants to improve the rankings of the main campus and the offsite campuses. Initiating the policy of green campus on the eve of the peer NAAC team visit is good but there is a need to evolve comprehensive policy to engage permanent faculty members who have acumen to impart quality education in the main campus and the Kathua campus. Procrastination has only led to brain drain as the eligible academicians who have years of scholarly experience in research and teaching have been denied their due by such policies. Leading to a situation where students are devoid of quality teachers and quality education. University of Jammu has to go for value addition in off site campuses like Kathua campus and give opportunities to promising and visionary and scholarly teachers on permanent basis in both MBA course and UIET to enable the Kathua campus to emerge as the hub of quality education.