SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday strongly advocated for expansion of higher education and economic self-reliance in Jammu and Kashmir, while also rejecting rumours of defections within his party and criticising the deletion of voters in West Bengal.
Addressing students during an event at Degree College Tangmarg, Omar Abdullah said educational institutions should remain free from political confrontation and students must be protected from divisive politics.
“I feel like bursting out like a cloudburst, but I am restrained by habit. I do not do politics at government functions, and these are among the few places where children should be kept away from politics,” he said.
Calling the youth the “future of Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said the government was trying to prepare the coming generation for progress and future challenges.
Highlighting what he described as a major gap in the education sector, the Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir lacked private universities for decades, forcing thousands of students to pursue higher education outside the Union Territory.
“Every year parents pay ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 crore to universities outside Jammu and Kashmir as tuition fees alone,” he said, adding that parents also bore travel and accommodation expenses while living under constant anxiety about children studying far away.
He said the government had introduced and passed legislation in the Assembly to pave the way for private universities in Jammu and Kashmir. Regulations for implementation are also being framed.
Abdullah expressed hope that Education Minister Sakina Itoo and her team would invite reputed institutions from across the country to establish campuses in J&K.
Referring to the region’s climate and natural surroundings, he said Jammu and Kashmir had the potential to become an attractive educational destination capable of competing with major study hubs elsewhere.
The Chief Minister also recalled approving the Tangmarg Degree College during his earlier tenure in 2011 and expressed satisfaction over its development. He praised the newly developed indoor sports facility at the college and said similar infrastructure should be replicated in other constituencies as well.
Reiterating welfare initiatives, Abdullah said the government’s free bus travel scheme for women was aimed at easing transportation difficulties for female students and working women.
On employment, he said the administration was targeting the creation of 20,000 to 25,000 government jobs this year to tackle unemployment. He also highlighted the “Mission Yuva” initiative, under which aspiring entrepreneurs would be provided easier access to loans without the need for guarantors, with the government itself acting as guarantor.
“Our aim is to make Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant so that we generate our own revenue and do not have to depend entirely on the Centre,” he said.
Later, during a media interaction, Omar Abdullah criticised the reported deletion of voters from electoral rolls in West Bengal and questioned the timing of court hearings on the matter.
“What is the use of hearings after elections when people have already lost their right to vote?” he asked, alleging that if such tactics were used for electoral gains, the country would eventually witness their long-term consequences.
Responding to criticism by the PDP over the sealing of a madrasa in Shopian, Abdullah said neither he nor his government remained silent on important issues.
“We do not function according to the dictates of other organisations. We speak through the government or through the party whenever required,” he said.
The National Conference leader also dismissed speculation about party MLAs leaving to support or join other party, terming the reports “baseless”.
“If there was really such a crisis, I would not be attending public programmes so calmly,” he remarked, while alleging that the same people spreading rumours were those who had earlier helped the BJP during Rajya Sabha elections.
He further said that several public spaces that were previously inaccessible had already been reopened and the remaining ones would also be opened gradually. On the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle or expansion, Abdullah told reporters that such decisions would be taken “at the appropriate time.”
