JAMMU, Jun 22: The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, on Thursday said that complete integration of J&K with India after abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A has paved way for massive investments in this region and has also ensured all round development in all fields in this Union Territory (UT).
The Vice President said that Article 370 was a temporary provision in Indian Constitution and wondered saying “how it lasted for 70 long years”.
“Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee laid down his life for one nation and now his dream has been realised,” the Vice President said while addressing Jammu University Convocation at General Zorwar Singh Auditorium.
“Tomorrow is Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s martyrdom day, and it is time we pay tributes to the youngest Vice Chancellor,” Dhankar said, adding that “the remarkable growth and massive development that J&K has been witnessing since August 5, 2019, is testimony to the great vision of Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee.”
“Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee said, ‘Ek Desh mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan, Do Nishan Nahin Chalenge,’ and now his dream has come true, and we can move freely in our country,” Jagdeep Dhankar explained. He stated, “We are now proud to be a nation and an Indian.”
The Vice President also stated that DR BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution, was not in favour of Articles 370 and 35-A. “Dr. BR Ambedkar declined to draft these Articles,” he said, adding that “they were still incorporated into the constitution and lasted for 70 years.”
“I, too, had been advocating for the repeal of Article 370 for the past 20 years,” he added. After the repeal of Articles 370 and 35-A, J&K now has all of the country’s top institutions, including IIMs, IITs, and even AIIMS, he said, adding that the region has seen growth in all fields.
“The Banihal tunnel, the Chenani-Nashiri tunnel, and the world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab have all opened in J&K,” he said, adding that India is now the world’s fastest growing economy and is leading the way in digital transformation.
“Today, we have a constitutionally functional democracy at the Panchayat, district, state, and central levels,” the Vice President said, adding, “We have an incredible political eco-system. Today, we find Indian genius in every corner of the globe.”
The Vice President announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Council of World Affairs and University of Jammu. This, he said, will facilitate greater exposure to the University in domains of culture, education and foreign affairs at a global level.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed gratitude to the Vice President for attending the convocation and blessing the students at the beginning of their working life.
Congratulating the students, the Lt Governor urged them to follow their passion, move forward with new resolutions, adapt to the change and learn new things accordingly, and share the wisdom earned at the University with the world.
“Convocation is the moment of transformation in a student’s life. Stepping into the real world is also considered as start of a new mission, a mission to use special knowledge and skills and to contribute in equitable, sustainable growth in building a strong and prosperous India,” the Lt Governor said.
In this era of Artificial Intelligence and new emerging technologies, rapid changes are happening around us. This change has given us an opportunity to see the entire education system in a new perspective, he observed.
The Lt Governor said, in the future, students will not come to Universities to receive just bookish knowledge or to accumulate more information. Universities will have to prepare human capital which will ensure its relevance in this fast changing world powered by algorithms, he added.
The Lt Governor appreciated the J&K Higher Education Council and Vice Chancellors of all Universities of J&K and associated stakeholders for their significant contribution in implementing National Education Policy and promoting independent thinking, scientific temper, creativity and nurturing unique personality among the students.
“Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi Ji, NEP 2020 is promoting an education system that makes students conscious, not mechanical. It makes them carrier of knowledge, wisdom and values and not a storehouse of memories,” the Lt Governor said.
“National Education Policy 2020 promotes life-long learning and enables students to adapt to change in different sectors. We cannot predict skills that would be required in the next 10 years but individuality, independent and Critical Thinking, and Creativity will improve resilience and adaptability,” he said.
The Lt Governor also extended his congratulations to all the faculty members and teachers of University of Jammu.
Commending the new initiatives of University of Jammu, the Lt Governor said, “I am confident that in the coming days, Jammu University will give new direction to the education sector of the country”.
Prof Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, presented the University report and highlighted special programmes to be rolled out soon. The University is in the process of setting up a full-fledged Directorate of Hindi and a Centre of Excellence in Dogri, he said.
Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice President; Prof Dinesh Singh, Vice Chairman, Higher Education Council, J&K; Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Vice Chancellors of various Universities; Members of University Council, eminent personalities; senior officials, faculty members and students attended the Special Convocation ceremony.
