The Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC) on Thursday announced the establishment of 10 new degree colleges during the period of 2019-21 along with upgrading of 228 schools, which also got approved by SAC during the meeting held headed under the Governor Satya Pal Malik.
A spokesperson from the meeting announced that the new colleges will be established in Tulail (Bandipora), Boniyar (Baramulla), Soibugh (Budgam), Kastigarh (Doda), Jourian (Jammu), Women College, Bhagwati Nagar (Jammu) Kralpora (Kupwara), Dharhal (Rajouri), Ghagwal (Samba) and Mongri-Panchari at Kainth Gali (Udhampur) during the period of 2019-21.
A committee was also formed in order to analyze the requirements of the newly established colleges in accordance with the respective locations. The committee was headed by Principal Secretary Finance, also, the committee witnessed the presence of Administrative Secretaries of Planning, Higher Education and School Education Departments.
Earlier, when the committee made various recommendations regarding the location for the planned establishment of degree colleges, the SAC approved locations for establishment of 40 new degree colleges.
“Continuing with its mandate, the committee after considering requests for new colleges received by the Higher Education department made recommendations for opening new degree colleges in locations that include far-flung, underserved and backward areas of the state such as Tulail, Kralpora, Dharhal and Mongri besides a Women Degree College in Bhagwati Nagar Jammu.
“With the establishment of 10 new colleges, the students will have easy access to higher education within their areas. In all the Governors administration has approved 50 Degree Colleges so far,” he said.
The spokesperson added that as far as the upgradation of schools is concerned, he informed that 87 High-schools have already been upgraded which includes 42 in Jammu region and 45 in Kashmir region.
Also, it has been informed that 123 Middle Schools have been upgraded which includes 58 in Jammu region and 65 in the Kashmir region.
The spokesperson also informed that according to the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, SAC also approved the upgradation of 18 schools. Out of them, 12 are Middle schools which have been upgraded to High-schools, and six High-schools have been upgraded to Higher-Secondary Schools, that includes 3 in Jammu region and 3 in Kashmir region.
The Council has also been reported to have approved the upgradation of Government Lower High School, Mallan Dessa Tehsil Bhagwah District Doda to High School, he added.
It has been reported that SAC also instructed the Education Department (School) to conduct or prepare a report informing various ways to consolidate schools and rationalize the staff in states where schools witness low Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in comparison with the average PTR.