New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday said that Jammu and Kashmir had emerged as the favourite destinations for students in India.

Speaking at the inauguration of J&K’s first international education fair, a collaborative effort of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-K) and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at New Delhi, the LG said that with more than 150 higher education institutions, two central universities, seven state universities, two AIIMS, IIM, IIT, NIT, NIFT, IIMC and two agricultural sciences and technology universities, J&K had emerged as a favourite destination for students in India.

 

 

He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accelerating development of J&K and transforming it into a favourite destination for students, travellers, and entrepreneurs.

 

 

The LG said that with this initiative J&K had launched a dedicated programme for foreign students.

 

“Our aim is to invite international students to J&K for short-term and long-term courses in various disciplines and strengthen the international connection. Over the past three years, we have focused on strengthening the education sector, developing knowledge workers for sectors like industries, agriculture and healthcare. Sincere efforts have been made to convert the knowledge dividends into wealth for the process of innovation and growth,” the LG said.

 

He said that the initiative of SKUAST-K would set an example for other universities of the country as well.

 

 

Apart from campuses nestled in nature’s paradise, professional faculties, high standard of living, J&K is also offering a variety of courses starting from Artificial Intelligence, robotics to agricultural science, yoga, Sanskrit and interface with the industries for research and innovation,” the LG said.

 

 

He said that paradigm shift towards virtues of life which humanity was witnessing was also an opportunity for enhancing quality of life by exchange programmes between the countries and learn from each other and enable each other to achieve greater heights in the journey ahead.

 

“The entire world is looking at India with admiration and hope. There never was a better time to be in India to witness and comprehend the glorious chapters of ancient civilisation and immortal organic composite culture. The foreign student’s residential and exchange programmes, people-to-people contacts and institutional interactions with different institutions of J&K will enrich and strengthen global cultural synergies,” the LG said.

 

Earlier, Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar inaugurated J&K’s first international education fair, a collaborative effort of SKUAST-K and ICCR in presence of Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, Union MoS PMO Jitendra Singh, and President ICCR Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

 

Jaishankar, who was the chief guest for the event, complemented SKUSAT-K for the international education fair initiative.

 

He said three years ago, the process of change started in J&K, which was intended to ensure that full benefits of the development and progress that the rest of India had seen for many years were also now completely available to the people, especially to the youth of J&K.

 

“People of J&K being in the national mainstream was extremely important. Also by doing so, they will connect up with the rest of India and the international mainstream. For me it is not just an education event, it is a very integral part of ensuring that a very important region of India is connected to what is happening in the world,” Jaishankar said.

 

He said that Indian universities should focus on inviting more foreign students to their campuses

 

Today, India has projects done or under-delivery in 78 countries of the world. So, if our relationships are so extensive, investments are so deep, and networking is so good, we need to see that translated into a greater flow of international students to India,” Jaishankar said.

 

“In a globalised world, it’s absolutely essential that young people of India are fully aware of what’s happening in the world and there is no better way to do that than having international students among you,” he said.

 

Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated the J&K government for showcasing the strength and vibrancy of India’s higher education landscape as well as the knowledge legacy of J&K.

 

“J&K is witnessing a new dawn of development under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister. With the implementation of National Education Policy, we are internationalising our education sector. The Education Ministry will support, encourage, and facilitate the globalisation of SKUAST-K,” he said.

 

Pradhan also encouraged all the universities to join efforts to establish India as a global study destination

 

 

Union MoS Jitendra Singh said that the National Education Policy brought by the Prime Minister holds the promise to open career and start-up opportunities driven by aptitude, skill and flexi options at capacity building.

 

“J&K has a rich legacy of unexplored agricultural avenues, Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution, which imparts the potential of being the torchbearer of Agri StartUp movement in India,” Singh said.

ICCR President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe assured the cooperation and support of ICCR to J&K in organising the exchange programmes of artisans and fairs whereby the message of changing new aspirational J&K goes loud and clear to other countries.

Ambassadors, High Commissioners and members of ICAR, ICCR, UGC, and SKUAST-K were also present on the occasion.