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Written by: Zafar Bhat

Category: ARTICLES

Published: 16 October 2016

To meet the requirement of high quality living and education in J&K, the union cabinet has approved the establishment and operationalization of Indian Institute  of Management  (IIM)  at Jammu with the out campus in Kashmir. It is the project which involves a cost of Rs. 61.90 crore in temporary campus for the initial four years. IIM for Jammu was termed as a part of Prime Minister’s development package for the state. It is the 20th IIM of the country which will function in Jammu. 

But after the decision of sanctioning IIM for Jammu, Former CM Omar Abdullah termed it as “blatant partisan politics” & IIM become a tug of war among the political leaders of the state. Omar attacks on the coalition government of BJP-PDP saying that it is against the balanced regional development of J&K. He hit out at Mehbooba saying that she had sold her soul to remain in power. Meanwhile Chaudhary Zulfkar Ali and GM Saroori started demanding IIM for Rajouri & Doda respectively.  Some of the state’s political leaders hailed the centre’s decision & criticized the Omar’s remark while others started agitating against this decision. 

Therefore, in such scenario, moot questions that arise are; whether the IIM would be established & start functioning in Jammu without unreasonable restriction? Or there would raise the situation like when Kashmir was awarded an AIIMS, Jammu agitated, successfully for its right to be granted one as well?  But no one can deny to the facts that with sanction of IIM, IIT, AIIMS, IIMC for Jammu region in addition to the existing Central University, Jammu region is going to become hub of educational activities and would provide great opportunities to the local talent and enhance the profile of Jammu region in rest of the Country.