Omar seeks ‘vision document’ for holistic development of higher education

Tuesday, 07 02 2012 10:10

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‘Focus on academic excellence, quality product’
Jammu, Feb 06: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday asked the educationists to formulate a broad-based and comprehensive ‘vision document’ for carrying forward development of higher education in the state in a balanced and scientific manner to meet the modern challenges.
Addressing the 1st meeting of J&K State Advisory Council for Higher Education (ACHE) here, the Chief Minister said that the need of hour is to upgrade the quality and the product in education sector and make the state a choicest destination for higher studies.
Omar said that scrutinizing traditional education with technical and scientific studies, making educational institutions centres of excellence and putting in place a well-thought of regulatory mechanism for standardizing education should be factored in this ‘vision document’ besides other interventions and measures considered necessary.
“The Vice-Chancellors of various universities and educational experts who are members of the Advisory Council should come up with this document for deliberations and finalization in the Council so that it forms an appropriate edifice for achieving academic excellence in the state with twin objectives of upgrading quality and product,” he added. He said the development of human resource in educational centres should be so qualitative that students from other places would get attracted to pursue their educational goals in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik, Minister of State for Higher Education, Manohar Lal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Vice-Chancellors of two Central Universities, University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Islamic University of Sciences and Technology, Awantipora, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Commissioner Secretary Education, Tanveer Jahan, former Vice-Chancellors, Ch. Masood and Dr. Puri and eminent educationists.
Omar said that in order to formulate a State Policy on Higher Education, the role of Council is significantly important.
“I am eagerly waiting for your valuable and expert suggestions in the direction of formulating this policy,” he told the Council members and said that the broad points deliberated upon in the first meeting of the Council should form outline for the comprehensive vision document.
Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Tanveer Jahan in a PowerPoint presentation gave details of achievements registered in the higher education sector during last three years in the state besides giving over view of the measures and initiatives put in place to upgrade this sector.
She highlighted the salient features of National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) formulated by the Higher Education department for factoring it in the overall education policy to bring about academic excellence and create multi-pronged avenues for the students at various levels to pursue educational goals along with performing livelihood earning activities.