Samoon directs for introduction of new courses in polytechnics

Jammu, Dec 8: In a review meeting held Wednesday Principal Secretary Skill Development Department (SDD), Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon asked the Principals of Polytechnic colleges to go for recognition of new courses once AICTE opens its portal for the same.
The meeting was attended by Director SDD, Sudershan Kumar; Principals of all the Polytechnic colleges and other officers of the department. Outside Jammu officers participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
Dr. Samoon urged to make all the courses attractive to students with upscaling of their syllabi and other lab work.
Dr Samoon maintained that J&K has recently taken the path of brisk development that has opened new vistas of employment opportunities for our youth. He said that be it Railways, Tunnels, power projects or other infrastructure there is a great scope for our youth to get skilled to be employable.
He mentioned that India has a need of about 8 crore skilled manpower in future and we should tap this opportunity to tide over our unemployment problem by skilling our youth in relevant trades. He said, “Education perse is not only classroom activity but much beyond it”. He asked Principals to procure all the machinery required for training of students well.
Principal Secretary asked the Director SDD to delegate powers to the Principals so that they are able to make expenditure as per their immediate needs. He asked the principals to make their institutions centers of excellence in skill seeking where entrepreneurs and highly skilled manpower is produced.
Dr Samoon also gave a set of doables to the department to be achieved in the remaining portion of this financial year. These include establishment of IT labs under STRIVE Project, Finalisation of consultancy report for reforms in skill sector, developing MIS for tracking the pass outs of these institutions, completion of projects under languishing category, establishment of 7 ITIs and 2 model ITIs under centrally sponsored schemes, updation of recruitment rules, Conducting of DPCs and recruitment of fresh faculty in Polytechnics and ITIs.
It was said in the meeting that the personal visits of the Principal Secretary to far flung areas of the UT has increased the pace of development in these institutions besides enhancing transparency and accountability in their functioning.
The meeting was also informed that as a measure of extracurricular activities several measures were taken. As part of it 3rd semester Mechanical Engineering, students of Govt Polytechnic Budgam were taken for Industrial visit to Boiler House/ AC Plant SKIMS Soura. Students of 3rd semester Civil Engineering were taken for Industrial visit to Cement Factory/ TCI Plant Khanmou to have the exposure of field works regarding the manufacturing of cement.