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

JAMMU: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, under the visionary leadership of Prof. B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, hosted an Orientation Session on Neo-Innovative Enterprises under Mission YUVA, a flagship youth entrepreneurship initiative of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, aimed at strengthening the innovation and startup ecosystem across the Union Territory.

The orientation session brought together representatives from all 14 recognised incubation centres of Jammu & Kashmir, marking a significant milestone toward building a unified and performance-driven incubation network in the region.

The session was led by the Mission Director, Mission YUVA, Mr. Shahzad Alam, who, along with his team, outlined the vision, framework, and execution roadmap of the YUVA Neo-Innovative Enterprises Scheme. The Mission YUVA team highlighted the government’s plans to promote innovation by enabling the Neo-innovative application portal, which will provide incubation support, financial assistance, and enterprise development pathways at incubation centres in J&K.

Participants were briefed on the complete process to accomplish the Neo-innovative segment targets under Mission YUVA. The session discussed the lifecycle of the Neo-innovative scheme of Mission YUVA, covering startup identification, application workflows, mentoring structures, funding mechanisms, monitoring systems, and graduation milestones. The orientation also detailed the roadmap for the  Innovation & Sustainability Challenge, which is to invite innovative business proposals from youth across J&K through incubation centres.

The session was anchored by the leadership and incubation team from IIM Jammu, including Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean – Faculty & Research, IIM Jammu, Dr. Muqbil Burhan, Chairperson – CEISD, IIM Jammu, Dr. Vivek Sharma, Chief Innovation Officer, DST-iTBI IIM Jammu & Ms. Druvi Sharma, Deputy Manager, DST-iTBI IIM Jammu.

Representatives from incubation centres across Jammu & Kashmir participated in the session in a hybrid mode, joining both in person and virtually from  IIT Jammu - Meenakshi &  Rajeev , Dr. Anil Bhatt from SKUAST Jammu, Dr. Sanjay Sharma from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) Katra, Dr. Nasir Ahmad Rather from Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri, Jaya Bhasin from Central University of Jammu, Anil Gupta from  University of Jammu, Dr. Farhat Ahmad Shaheen from SKUAST Kashmir,  Waseem Barie from University of Kashmir, Parvez Ahmad from Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUS&T), Mr. Shashi Ranjan from NIFT Srinagar&Mr. Saad from NIT Srinagar actively participated and contributed to discussions on implementation strategies and collaborative execution.

The orientation concluded with a clearly defined action roadmap to: (1) Roll out applications under the YUVA Neo-Innovative Enterprise Scheme, (2) Launch the Innovation & Sustainability Challenge, (3) Enable funding support through the incubation hub, (4) Establish performance tracking and review mechanisms

Under the YUVA Neo-Innovative Enterprise Scheme of the Mission YUVA initiative of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, IIM Jammu and IIM Jammu (Srinagar off-campus) are to function as incubation hubs. This initiative marks a decisive step toward positioning Jammu & Kashmir as a vibrant hub of innovation, enterprise development, and youth-led economic growth.

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

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