720 seats sanctioned for Engg colleges at Kathua, Ganderbal

61 colleges get Principals

JAMMU: Two months after it cleared decks for establishment of two new Government Colleges of Engineering and Technology under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the state government on Thursday accorded sanction to as many as 720 new seats, 360 for each college to come up at Safapora in Ganderbal district and Janglot in Kathua district.

In an official order, the government also accorded sanction to 15 posts of Assistant Professors and 7 posts of Associate Professors for each of the campus, of the total 136 posts sanctioned by Cabinet in the month of October.

The 360 seats created at GCET Kathua would come from six disciplines- Computer Science and Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Mechanical Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering, Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering- each of these getting 60 seats, whereas in Ganderbal, the six disciplines would be Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Civil Engineering, Bio Medical Engineering and Food Engineering, with the students intake capacity of 60 each, making up for another 360 seats.

The sanction was also accorded to 7 posts of Associate Professors- one for each discipline besides an additional professor for Applied Sciences and Humanities for each campus, while nod was given to 15 posts of Assistant Professors, two for each discipline, besides three additional professors for Applied Sciences and Humanities, for each of the campuses.

It may be recalled here that the Union Ministry of HRD had approved both these Colleges under the centrally sponsored scheme RUSA for addressing critical gaps and spatial distribution higher

educational institution across the state. The Union Ministry sanctioned Rs 52 Crore for establishment of

infrastructure for both institutions, out of which 90 % will be central share and 10% state share.

The two institutions are expected to meet the growing demand of technical / skilled manpower in the

key sectors in the state i.e. Industry and Power.

Meanwhile, disposing of the long pending issue entangled in various complexities since 2012, the state government on Thursday finally appointed College Principals for 61 colleges in the state.

As per the official order in this regard, issued by the Higher Education Department, 61 persons were appointed College Principals in the Pay Band of Rs. 37400-67000+AGP 10000.

These include Yasmeen Ashai, Shakeel Ahmad Raina, Anil Gupta, Khurshid Ahmad Khan, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Geetanjali Rana, Raj Shree Dhar, P.K.Sharma, Muzaffar Ahmad Khan, AB Qayoom Khatai, Nazir Ahmad Ganie, Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Shafqat Hussain Rafiqi, S.P. Sarwat, Ashok Kumar, Maqsooda Khan, G.M.Dar, Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Javid Ahmad Qazi, Nisar Ahmad Yatoo, N.K. Gupta, Nasreen Amann, Ravender Kumar Tikoo, Manzoor Ahmad Lone, Farooq Ahmad Peer, Abdul Rehman Bhat, S.K.Mangotra, R.K.Raina, Kuldeep Raj Sharma, Kusum Gupta, A.R.War, Nasreen Malik, B.B.Sharma, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Bashir Ahmad Mir, Ghulam Jeelani Qureshi, Tasleem Peer, Tabasum Rafiq, Nasreen Malik, Fahmida Bano, Sangeeta Nagari, Mirza Khan, Shoukat All Bhat, Kulvinder Kour, Maheen Mustafa, B.A.Rather, Abdul Majid Dar, Z A.Hashmi, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, M. A. Lone, Rohi Jan Kanth, Ghulam Mustafa Hakim, Shaheen Altaf Matoo, Rafiya Rashid, Yudvir Singh and G.S. Rakhwal.

The department has also kept 4 posts vacant since these are reserved by court.

Further, since 4 among the aforementioned, had retired, namely, A R War, B B Sharma, Z A Hashmi and Shoukat Ali Bhat, the department appointed Sohan Lal, G R Wani, Zaheer-ud-Din in their place, while one post was withheld for vigilance clearance.

The matter was ultimately disposed of on the basis of recommendations of J&K PSC and opinion of the Law Department, the official handout informed.

Pertinently, Minister for Education, Altaf Bukhari took keen interest in resolving this long pending demand of appointment of Principals in the colleges.

Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon also contributed a lot in removing the procedural and legal impediments and other existing bottlenecks.

President, College Teachers Association, Srinagar and Jammu has termed this appointment as a constructive step which shall serve a long way in uplifting the standards of Higher Education in the State besides acting as a morale booster for the faculty.