New Delhi, October 19
The Centre today paved the way for the establishment of a second central university in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Union Cabinet approving the Ordinance to this effect, for promulgation by the President of India.
An ordinance is sought to be promulgated to avoid further loss of time before the commencement of the academic session. Eleven of the 15 sanctioned central universities have already started running their classes from this year. “Parliament’s winter session is still far and we wanted to waste no time in starting the session. Hence the ordinance,” said government sources.
The move — seen as a major boost for the Omar Abdullah-led coalition in the state — comes in less than a month of the government deciding to have, as a special dispensation, two central universities for the troubled state (normally, one state can have only one). The UPA obviously wants to send out the right message through its “special treatment” to the Valley besides preempting agitations on this front.
Making the announcement on September 25 that the government’s decision to allow two universities in J&K “was expected to meet regional aspirations and maintain harmony in the state”, Sibal had said appropriate legislative measures (read the ordinance) would be taken to implement the decision.
The ordinance, which came up for preliminary discussions in the cabinet meeting today, has been sent to the President for promulgation. Once the President gives her nod to it, decks will be cleared for establishing a second central university in Kashmir. The first was sanctioned for Jammu - a move that triggered widespread protests in a politically sensitive Valley, which sacrificed its IIM campus for a university.
The Kashmir Central University is expected to be set up in Ganderbal, Omar’s home segment, which has returned the Abdullahs to power every time except in 2002 when PDP’s Qazi Afzal defeated Omar.
Ganderbal is said to be preferable over the other two locations - Pampore and Sopore (Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s native town) for its better connectivity. Beehama could be the chosen location in Ganderbal, which the ruling NC favours though HRD Ministry sources say nothing has been indicated to them in writing.
Logically, however, the central varsity of Kashmir should have gone to North Kashmir, which has been more vulnerable to terrorism due to its strategic location which offers safety to intruders.
The existing Islamic University of Science and Technology is located in South Kashmir; Kashmir University is in Srinagar (Central Kashmir) whereas North Kashmir comprising the sensitive districts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla have no facility for higher education. The area has 1025 villages and over 13 towns.
Ganderbal is also part of Central Kashmir, which is overfed in terms of higher education.
