Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!đ Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. JAMMU: Dr. Bhardwaj, Member of the Legislative Assembly from Ramnagar, today raised Starred Question A.Q. No. 530 in the House, calling upon the government to urgently sanction a dedicated Rector post, along with adequate faculty and non-teaching positions, for all off-site campuses of the University of Jammu, particularly the Ramnagar Campus.
The government acknowledged that these positions remain unsanctioned and that the campuses have been functioning under ad-hoc arrangements for nearly two decades. This, Dr. Bhardwaj noted, has led to stagnation in academic and professional growth and has undermined the objective of delivering quality higher education to students in hilly and mountainous regions.
Citing Census 2011 data, Dr. Bhardwaj informed the House that Ramnagarâs overall literacy rate stands at 62 percentâwell below the national average of 80 percentâwith female literacy at a concerning 45 percent. âTo bridge this gap and ensure access to quality higher education, at least one Rector post and a minimum of ten faculty positions must be sanctioned for the Ramnagar Campus and other off-site campuses of the University,â he stated. âStrengthening these institutions will empower our youth, especially women, and accelerate the socio-economic development of the region.â
Established in 2008, the Ramnagar Campus initially offered M.A. Sociology and MCA programmes and is equipped with an academic block and separate hostels for boys and girls. However, the MCA programme has since been discontinued, and no admissions were conducted during the 2024â25 and 2025â26 academic sessions due to an acute shortage of faculty and inadequate academic support.
Dr. Bhardwaj further emphasized the need to diversify academic offerings at the Ramnagar Campus to meet local aspirations. He proposed the introduction of postgraduate programmes such as M.A. English, M.Sc. Botany, M.Sc. Zoology, M.Sc. Mathematics, M.Sc. Chemistry, M.Sc. Physics, M.A. Dogri, along with skill-development and employment-oriented courses to accommodate the growing number of graduates in the region.
Responding to the issue, Honâble Education Minister Sakeena Itoo assured the House that the proposal is under active consideration and that necessary faculty positions and new subject offerings at the Ramnagar Campus will be introduced at the earliest to strengthen academics and research in the region.
