Govt working on policy of free education from 1st class to university level: Sakeena

Awantipora, Nov 12: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, School Education and Higher Education, Sakeena Masood Itoo Tuesday inaugurated the National Academia Industry Conclave 4.0-Cultivating Synergy at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) here.
Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Vice Chancellor IUST, Vice Chancellor Cluster University Srinagar, Deans of various Departments, Heads of Departments, galaxy of who’s who of industry and commerce sector of J&K, budding entrepreneurs, researchers and large number of students were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Sakeena Masood underlined that this Conclave will serve as a platform for fostering collaboration, innovation and exchange of ideas between the educational sector and industries, thereby contributing towards the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir.
“In order to tackle growing challenges and opportunities of modern world, collaboration between academia and industry is need of the hour”, Sakeena said. She asserted that industry-academia partnerships are integral towards addressing pressing global issues, fostering innovation and ensuring that students are prepared for the evolving demands of job market.
Calling for students to look beyond government jobs, the Minister advised the students to create opportunities for themselves in emerging sectors like tourism, hospitality and other sectors and be job creators rather than job seekers.
The Minister further said that contribution of growth in nation building is maximum through education sector and it is one of the priority sectors for the government. “Our government led by Omar Abdullah is committed towards development of education sector from the remotest areas and we are working on the policy of free education from 1st class to university level”, Sakeena said.
The Minister also advised the University administration to promote Kashmiri language in the campus and make best efforts for its preservation and promotion.
Addressing the gathering, Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani highlighted that this University has emerged as one of the top class university not only in J&K but across the country. He called upon the students to leave from this university as educated entrepreneurs and try to tap the potential of establishing enterprises in Tourism, Horticulture, Art & Crafts, hospitality and other sectors.
The Advisor underlined that this conclave marks an essential step towards integrating academic learning with industry needs. He commended the university administration for growth in recent years and advised them to look out for expanding in other districts.
Speaking on the occasion, VC IUST, Shakeel Ahmad Ramshoo gave an outline about the progress and achievements of the University since its inception. He remarked that the University has developed a holistic curriculum that reflects multi disciplinary approach of the University. He underlined that Design Your Own Degree course of the university has emerged as one of the most innovative and successful initiative of this varisity.
The VC said that this Conclave platform will be a great platform to achieve the goal of developed country our government is aspiring for.
Dean Academic Affairs, IUST, Prof. A H Moon and representative of CMD SIDBI, Balbir Singh also spoke on the occasion and outlined about the primary objectives of the workshop.
During the Conclave, the Minister along with the Advisor conferred awards to various start-up founders in different categories like Best Performing Global Startup, Best Women led Startup, Best Agri-Tech Startup, Best Tech based Startup and Best Emerging Startup. The Minister also released CIED Annual Report on the occasion.
Earlier, the Minister along with the Advisor also inspected various tech based stalls established as part of the ongoing celebrations under 19th University Foundation day and also interacted with the students.