In loving memory of Dr. Priya Ranjan: A mentor who treated me like family

KATHUA: The Department of Dogri, Government Degree College (GDC) Kathua, under the leadership of the College Principal Prof. Seema Mir, organized a week-long awareness campaign to support the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM). The campaign was conducted in collaboration with the Bhashini Project, an initiative funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), along with Government College for Women (GCW) Parade, Jammu.

Dr. Preeti Dubey, (Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Applications and Co-Investigator of the Bhashini research project at GCW Parade), highlighted the government's efforts to bridge the digital divide. During the campaign, she delivered an insightful lecture on skills required for language translation, as well as research and job opportunities in languages such as Dogri, Hindi, English, and other regional languages under the Bhashini Project.

 Sunil Kumar demonstrated innovative tools developed specifically for the Dogri language, while students and faculty actively contributed to Dogri data collection essential for automatic spoken language translation. In a significant achievement, three students from GDC Kathua —  Saroj Devi,  Arushi Devi, and  Nikhil from Semester V — joined the project as part-time coordinators. Their contributions to the project will be acknowledged with stipends provided by the government.

Speaking at the event, Principal Prof. Seema Mir expressed her gratitude for this collaborative effort, emphasizing the importance of skill enhancement for achieving Atma Nirbharta (self-reliance) among students. She also underscored the relevance of fostering a research culture in line with the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) and encouraged students to incorporate language translation as a component of their research projects in Semester VIII. She lauded the government's initiatives to promote technological development in regional languages, particularly low-resourced languages like Dogri.

The campaign was inaugurated with a welcome speech by Head, Department of Dogri, Meena Devi, who coordinated the initiative with support from faculty members Dr. Pritima Sangra and  Mukesh Kumar. Faculty members, including Dr. Yash Paul (Head, Department of Urdu) and Dr. Ram Singh (Head, Department of Education), also attended the sessions and praised the technological strides made for Dogri.

Dr. Preeti Dubey extended heartfelt thanks to Principal Prof. Seema Mir for her unwavering support toward the Bhashini Project. The campaign concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Pritima Sangra, marking a successful step toward enhancing regional language technologies and bridging linguistic barriers.

Your voice can reach the world: At JK Monitor, we firmly believe that every well-researched idea has the power to inspire change beyond geographical boundaries. We are delighted to share an encouraging message from one of our esteemed contributors, Dr. Rakesh Verma (J&K Forest Services). “His article, ‘When Trees Become Rights-Bearing Citizens: A Lesson from Canada for India’s Ecological Future,’ published on JK Monitor, received appreciation from La Compagnie des Papillons Bleus, the French non-profit organisation that founded and promotes the Universal Declaration of Tree Rights.”.  Read the message here
A Profound Loss: JK Monitor Mourns the Passing of Founding Chairman Dr. Priya Ranjan

We at JK Monitor are profoundly saddened by the sudden demise of our Founding Chairman, Dr. Priya Ranjan.IN LOVING MEMORY Dr Priya Ranjan

A brilliant mind who studied at Netarhat Residential School and graduated in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur before earning his PhD from the University of Maryland, Dr. Ranjan chose to return to India and dedicate his life to teaching, research and social good.

His pioneering work in networked systems, AI, robotics and biomedical applications—especially computer-vision tools for early detection of cancer and heart disease—reflected his deep belief that advanced technology must serve humanity.

For more than 15 years at JK Monitor, he remained a loyal friend, mentor and collaborator, marked by rare humility, intellectual integrity and quiet generosity. His passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. Priya, you will be deeply missed. Your life continues to remind us that knowledge finds its highest purpose in the service of others.

— Team JK Monitor

       LOOK_HERE.jpg Esteemed readers, for your convenience, we have categorized our news publishing into following 👇