Reviews progress of BGSBU: Omar

JAMMU: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Thursday underscored the need for introduction for market-oriented courses in higher educational institutions for expanding job market for passing out students.
“Instead of offering courses in the traditional streams, the universities should go for introduction of subjects of modern market utility so that students completing their studies are comfortably absorbed in the job market”, he told the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) of which he is the Chancellor also.
Chairing a review meeting of the University here, the Chief Minister received detailed brief of various aspects of the achievements, infrastructure development, academic progress and futuristic plans of the University.
Omar Abdullah said that while opening different schools of studies in the higher educational institutions, the management should focus on ensuring employability of the students and tie up with industrial houses in different fields of life to ascertain the market intelligence with regard to different subjects and courses of greater potential for jobs.
Omar asked the University to work out introducing of management courses in rural and urban development and make the University a centre capacity building. “You can offer short courses to the students in collaboration with National Institutions and NGOs for imparting trainings in rural development management who in turn can act as resource persons for capacity building of the newly elected sarpanches and panches”, he said.
The Chief Minister receiving brief about the growth and infrastructural development of the university approved Rs. 4 crore works plan for it for the current financial year. “If you are able to spend the money in full on the identified projects, we would actively consider allotment of additional funds”, he said. The Chief Minister said that instead of spending the money on various projects in smaller amounts, the mechanism should be of completing one or two works in full by the funds available so that benefits of these projects accrue to the beneficiaries.
Omar Abdullah also directs for taking over of water supply and power installations in the University by the line departments for maintenance adding that the charges of water and electricity use will be borne by the University. He asked the District Development Commissioner, Rajouri to initiate action in this regard early.
Vice Chancellor of BGSBU, Irshad Ahmad Hamal gave resume of the activities of the University in the fields of academics, infrastructure development, introduction of new schools of studies, availability of central facilities, financial position and future plans. In a PowerPoint presentation detail account of all these aspect were explained in the meeting.
Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik, Minister for Technical Education, R. S. Chib, Minister of State for Rural Development, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Power, Shabir Ahmad Khan, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner Secretary Finance, Sudhanshu Pandey, Commissioner Secretary Revenue, Isfandyar Khan, District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, Ghulam Ahmad Khawaja and various other senior officers were present in the meeting.