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KATRA: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) has achieved a significant research milestone by securing a prestigious grant under the Advanced National Research Foundation – Partnerships for Advancing Interdisciplinary Research (ANRF PAIR) program. The PAIR initiative is designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration among premier research institutions in India. The funded project, focused on the cutting-edge area of Advanced Materials, is in collaboration with IIT Ropar as the hub institute. 

Under this PAIR grant, SMVDU will receive a funding of around ₹10 Crore.Prof. Pragti Kumar, Vice Chancellor, SMVDU, expressed his satisfaction on achieving the milestone and said that “This achievement reflects SMVDU’s commitment to contributing meaningfully to the national R&D ecosystem. We are proud to be a part of this prestigious initiative, and we look forward to impactful outcomes through this collaboration with IIT Ropar and other SPOKE institutes.”Dr. Ankush Raina, Principal Investigator from SMVDU, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with IIT Ropar and other leading institutions under the ANRF framework that allows SMVDU to push through interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Co-PIs from SMVDU includes Dr. Sanjeev Anand, Dr. YatheshthAnand, Dr. V. V. Tyagi, Dr. Mir Irfan UlHaq, Dr. Ram Prakash, Dr. Pankaj Biswas and Dr. InduBhushan. Under this scheme, SMVDU will serve as a vital partner, contributing through its expertise in materials synthesis, characterization, 3D Printing of Functional Materials, Sliding Wear Applications of various materials, and Energy Systems and Conversion Technologies. Prof. A K Das, Dean, Research and Development, SMVDU congratulated the team for the research grant by ANRF and expressed that this grant will strengthen the research ecosystem in the region.

This national-level recognition was granted following a rigorous selection process involving India’s premier academic institutions. Pertinent to mention, out of the 30 HUB applicants, only seven were selected to receive the research funding. This achievement once again places SMVDU and its HUB institute among the notable research institutions of the country. This partnership under the PAIR program aligns with India’s vision to strengthen its global research profile in science and technology through strategic academic alliances.

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JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a high level meeting to review the status of school education across the Union Territory, with a special focus on improving learning outcomes and implementation of different schemes aiming upgradation of the education system across J&K. The meeting besides ACS, School Education Department was attended by MD, Samagra Shiksha; Director, School Education, Kashmir/Jammu; Special Secretary, SED, Secretary, JKBOSE; Director, SCERT along with other officers of the department.

The Chief Secretary emphasized the need for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the learning ecosystem. He directed the School Education Department to develop an AI-based learning module that would offer customized lessons to students based on their individual assessments, thereby addressing their weak areas more effectively. He suggested seeking technical assistance from the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for this initiative.

While taking stock of enrolment figures at the primary and middle school levels across the government and private institutions, Dulloo expressed concern over the stagnation in student enrolment in government schools. He noted that despite significant higher investments and nearly three times more government primary schools compared to private ones, enrolment figures remain nearly the same. He called for a comprehensive study to understand this trend and come up with actionable recommendations to reverse it.

To enhance governance and real-time monitoring, the Chief Secretary directed the department to create a comprehensive dashboard providing a bird’s eye view of each school. This digital platform should include data on class-wise student enrolment, availability of teachers, results from periodic assessments, and infrastructure status, enabling data-driven decision-making related to imparting of quality education in these schools.

Reviewing the basic amenities in schools, the Chief Secretary took note of the status on availability of essential utilities such as water supply, electricity, washrooms and other infrastructural facilities. He stressed that no school should be left without these fundamental amenities, as their absence hampers the delivery of quality education.

The Chief Secretary advised the department to explore mechanisms for deploying vocational and subject-specific teachers in schools with critical requirements. He recommended utilizing provisions under the Samagra Shiksha scheme or revisiting the freezing period associated with the recruitment of general line teachers to ensure adequate staffing.

On the occasion, ACS, SED, Shantmanu, detailed out a comprehensive progress report on implementation of education related schemes in the UT. He highlighted significant strides made across various dimensions of the education sector. The review meeting focused on ongoing projects, civil infrastructure, digital transformation, NEP-2020 implementation and other reforms undertaken to elevate the quality of education across the districts of the UT.

About the implementation of PM SHRI scheme, the ACS informed that 396 schools have been designated as PM SHRI Schools, featuring advanced infrastructure and experiential learning facilities in these schools. He also informed that establishment of 45 Atal Tinkering Labs, 159 STEM Labs and 188 Robotics Labs are underway. Additionally, sports equipment, green initiatives like vermicomposting and clean-up drives have been incorporated to make the school environment more amenable towards imparting inclusive education in these schools.

With respect to establishment of Vidya Samiksha Kendra and Digital Reforms, it was given out that state-of-the-art Vidya Samiksha Kendra has been established in Teachers Bgawan, Jammu modelled after the Gujarat initiative, enabling real-time data analysis for informed decision-making. Moreover, innovations like the JK Attendance App (geo-tagged facial recognition), Parent Pulse Bot and Smart Attendance System have revolutionized the monitoring and feedback mechanisms. Notably, 74% of schools have adopted the Smart Attendance system across the districts.

As far as the civil works are concerned, it was revealed that out of 8,902 projects approved under Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19, around 4,691 works have been completed including buildings, toilets and boundary walls. It is significant to mention that in 2024-25 alone, 980 works were completed with an expenditure of Rs. 94.8 crore.Under PM SHRI, 250 works are under execution and additional 316 smaller works have been entrusted to the Rural Development Department.

Regarding establishment of Girls Hostels and KGBVs, it was said that 89 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are fully functional, enrolling 5,012 students. Out of 85 sanctioned girls hostels, 41 have been completed and 22 more are targeted for completion by August 2025. Besides, establishment of 25 additional hostels is underway with funds already released, the meeting was informed.

Similarly, skill education was imparted in 1,350 schools with over 1.41 lakh students enrolled in 15 vocational trades. The inclusive and skill-based education has enabled 17,901 Children with Special Needs (CWSN) to enrol themselves in schools besides assistive devices were provided to 4,990 students with special needs. Additionally, 1335 vocational labs were established and 1915 more to be set up by June 2025.

About implementation of NEP 2020, pre-primary classes started in 15,550 schools; “Phoolwari” activity books developed for the students enrolled there. For this purpose, 16,000 teachers were trained in FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) under the Vidya Pravesh module. It was divulged that SCERT J&K has developed comprehensive learning materials including Urdu and Dogri language content, toy-based pedagogy guides and non-academic books for the National Digital Library.

More than 1.14 lakh employees now mark attendance via the JK Attendance App. Under the NISHTHA program, nearly 1.5 lakh teachers have received training across various modules. Two DIETs (District Institutes of Education and Training) have been selected for transformation into Centres of Excellence with smart classrooms, research facilities, and ICT integration.

About the budgetary support & fund utilization, it was revealed that Rs. 411 crore under Samagra Shiksha, Rs. 43 crore under PM POSHAN, Rs. 2.51 crore under NILP and Rs. 51 crore under PM SHRI stands released. Moreover, Rs. 6.82 crore were utilized for green initiatives in PM SHRI schools and Rs3.15 crore annual school grant disbursed to 396 schools.

The department reaffirmed its commitment towards achieving 100% saturation of ICT Labs and Smart Classrooms in all higher secondary schools by FY 2025-26. Besides, introduction of vocational education in 550 more schools and establishment of additional innovative labs and digital infrastructure are also in pipeline, as was apprised in the meeting.

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SRINAGAR: Minister for Education, Social Welfare and Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo chaired a meeting here today to review the performance of Samagra Shiksha.

The meeting was attended by Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, Bhawani Rakhwal; Director School Education Kashmir, Dr. G.N Itoo; Director School Education Jammu, Naseem Javid; Special Secretary, School Education department, Gulzar Ahmad Shabnam; other senior officers of Samagra Shiksha and school education department.

During the meeting, the Minister took detailed assessment of ongoing works of Samagra Shiksha under different components. She also took detailed appraisal of the forthcoming plan for the year 2025-26.

Addressing the meeting, Sakeena called upon the officers for proper utilisation of funds, besides maintaining quality of works. She directed them for strict adherence of existing tendering protocols and maintaining transparency in allotting tenders. She also asked them to give chance for local vendors in executing works under Samagra Shiksha through proper tenders.

Taking strong note of some works being allotted to some blacklisted agencies, Sakeena directed the officers that the agencies which failed to complete works in previous years on timely basis, shouldn’t be re-allotted any kind of works afresh. She further directed the officers to submit a detailed report on tenders allotted in last some years in order to detect the wrongs committed and same can be corrected.

Referring to various components of Samagra Shiksha and their impact on overall good of education sector in J&K, Sakeena Itoo impressed upon the officers for proper coordination of both the directors as well as project director in order to achieve the objectives. She highlighted that the foundational literacy, infrastructure development, and digital learning outreach can be maximised through the intervention of Samagra Shiksha.

Highlighting the importance of inclusive and equitable education, Sakeena Itoo urged the officers to prioritize girl child education, education for children with special needs (CWSN) and tribal and remote area outreach. “Our aim is to ensure no child is left behind,” she stated.

The Minister also called for timely completion of ongoing initiatives like classroom digitization, smart lab establishments, vocational training modules, and teacher capacity-building programs. She also emphasized community participation and parent engagement to strengthen the overall education ecosystem.

Acknowledging the strides made under the Samagra Shiksha, the Minister stressed on the need for accelerated and coordinated implementation of the newly approved initiatives for the year 2025-26. She asked the Project Director Samagra Shiksha to sought requirement from both the directors of school Education regarding interventions required.

Calling for regular monitoring of several works carried under Samagra Shiksha across J&K, Sakeena Itoo directed the Special Secretary School Education department to constitute a committee with representatives of Administrative department, both directors of school Education and Samagra Shiksha who will go on ground to check implementation of different initiatives of Samagra on the ground. She asked them to conduct videography of the field visits and submit the report regarding same within fifteen days.

Later, the Minister also inspected the Vidya Samiksha Kendra at Teacher Bhawan here. During the visit, the Minister was briefed about the functioning of centre by Project Director Samagra Shiksha. She sought live demonstration of J&K Attendance Trend Dashboard, Weekly Practice Participation test, Teacher Attendance, Student Attendance and other features of the website.

The Minister, during the visit, directed the officers to use this centre for better utilisation and improvement of schools across Jammu and Kashmir. She asked them to utilise the feedback about various interventions of Samagra obtained through this centre for upgrading the required infrastructure across schools.

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• LG highlights the strategic, multi-faceted approach for holistic development of J&K over the last 5 years including economic growth, sustainability, and seamless implementation of social welfare schemes
• A strategic, multi-faceted approach was adopted to tap the industrial potential of Jammu and Kashmir so as to strike the right balance between economic growth, sustainability and social development: LG
• I want the industrial growth to benefit all the citizens of Jammu Kashmir. This is my resolve. My second resolve is to ensure that Industrial growth is environmentally sustainable: LG Sinha
• One of our objectives is to make J&K a leader in innovation to attract investments in research, IT and ITeS.  We have analysed locally available skillset and natural resources in order to promote the relevant sectors as per our advantage: Lieutenant Governor
• The new Startup Policy was launched in February 2024. So far more than 1030 startups have become operational in which 380 startups are led by the daughters of Jammu Kashmir. I consider this a great achievement in restoring the pride of Nari Shakti: LG
• I think Jammu Kashmir has many factors such as economic stability, skilled labour, raw material, better incentives, enabling and safe business environment, high productivity, high potential of value addition, strong infrastructure, transparency and high level of innovation, which makes it attractive investment destination: LG Sinha
• Urban transformation has provided a high standard of living in almost all the cities of Jammu Kashmir. Public safety, strong healthcare system, higher education, low expense burden, high productivity, composite culture, all these systems are perfectly suitable for the operations of multinational companies in the J&K UT: LG

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today interacted with members of YPO-Global One, an international network of leaders and CEOs in business in Srinagar. In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the strategic, multi-faceted approach for holistic development of J&K over the last five years including economic growth, sustainability, and seamless implementation of social welfare schemes.

“Our aim is to achieve faster, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. A strategic, multi-faceted approach was adopted to tap the industrial potential of Jammu and Kashmir so as to strike the right balance between economic growth, sustainability and social development,” the Lieutenant Governor said. The Lieutenant Governor shared the insights into J&K’s evolving industrial landscape and the emerging opportunities in the sector.

“I want the industrial growth to benefit all the citizens of Jammu Kashmir. This is my resolve. My second resolve is to ensure that Industrial growth is environmentally sustainable. One of our objectives is to make J&K a leader in innovation to attract investments in research, IT and ITeS.  We have analysed locally available skillset and natural resources in order to promote the relevant sectors as per our advantage.

For the industrial growth of Jammu Kashmir, we have focused on sectors which are the strength of the region. For example, the Tourism Sector has witnessed massive increase in tourist influx. There is immense potential in this sector for unexplored destinations, film tourism, entertainment sector, hotels and resorts and theme parks. Since we have given industry status to tourism, I am sure that the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir can be tapped,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

Sharing the progressive policies and initiatives of the government for promoting startup culture and women entrepreneurship in J&K, the Lieutenant Governor highlighted the positive outcomes of new Startup Policy which was launched in February 2024. “So far more than 1030 startups have become operational in which 380 startups are led by the daughters of Jammu Kashmir. I consider this a great achievement in restoring the pride of Nari Shakti,” he further added.

The Lieutenant Governor said, the initiatives taken by the government in the past few years have doubled the export of handloom and handicrafts and horticulture products are reaching to the global market. He said, today, Jammu Kashmir has no competition in handicraft, handloom and horticulture products. During the interaction, the Lieutenant Governor addressed the queries from YPO members on J&K’s Industrial growth.

“I think Jammu Kashmir has many factors such as economic stability, skilled labour, raw material, better incentives, enabling and safe business environment, high productivity, high potential of value addition, strong infrastructure, transparency and high level of innovation, which makes it an attractive investment destination.

Urban transformation has provided a high standard of living in almost all the cities of Jammu Kashmir. Public safety, strong healthcare system, higher education, low expense burden, high productivity, composite culture, all these systems are perfectly suitable for the operations of multinational companies in the J&K UT,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor said that under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a transformative era, fostering peace and inclusive development. “We don’t believe in buying peace but establishing peace. J&K Police and security forces are on job. Soon we will completely eliminate terrorism and its entire ecosystem. With the ongoing efforts, I believe the Jammu region is on track to fully regain peace within the next six months,” he said. Shri Vikramaditya Singh, former Legislator, Members of YPO - Global One and Industry leaders were present on the occasion.