Rs. 100 cr has been allotted for modernisation of NIT-Srinagar: Javadekar

After the Centre approved for the establishment and operationalisation of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Jammu, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday said besides that Rs. 100 crore has also been allotted for modernisation of National Institute for Technology in Srinagar and Rs. 50 crore has been allotted for the construction of three new hostels each in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

The cabinet meeting here was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

"Government has formally approved for the opening of a new IIM in Jammu. The formal education had already begun this year, but now after the recognition, they will not have to face any difficulty at the time of receiving degree," Javadekar said.

Javadekar further said that to modernize the NIT in Kashmir valley, they have been sanctioned with Rs. 100 crore and things are under process.

"For the convenience of girl students, three hostels in Jammu, three in Valley and three in Leh-Ladak would be opened and construction of AIIMS has started at both places and Rs. 50 crore has been allotted for the same," Javadekar said.

"IIM campus will also be opened in Kashmir valley. Through this, there will be 20 IIMs all over India. IITs and IIMs are considered better institutes for higher education purposes. Earlier there were 13 IIMs, now, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seven new IIMs and seven new IITs have been established," he added.

Praising the initiative by the Narendra Modi led NDA government, the Minister said, "It is a positive step and everybody should get equal opportunity to higher education."

"We have started this initiative, so that Jammu and Kashmir students get better education and get empowerment and everybody wants to study there and this is the real Kashmiriyat for them," he added.

An out-campus will be set up in the Kashmir region later.

The project will involve a cost of Rs. 61.90 crore on temporary campus for four years from 2016 to 2020.

The Institute will help in the student intake in the Post Graduate Diploma Programme (PGDP) in Management which will progressively go up to cumulative student strength of 120 in the 4th year.

The Detailed Project Report for the permanent campuses is under preparation and thereafter the process for setting up of the campuses would start.

The Cabinet also approved formation of an IIM Jammu Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. IIM Jammu will be run and managed by the Society with a Board of Governors (BOGs) to be constituted by the Government of India, will administer the Institute and would be responsible for establishment and operationalisation of the Institute.

This is a part of Prime Minister's development package for Jammu & Kashmir. The Institute coupled with opening of IIT at Jammu, modernization of NIT Srinagar and opening of two new AIIMS institutions, one each in Kashmir region and Jammu region, would go a long way in meeting the requirement of high quality education in Jammu & Kashmir.

At present, there are nineteen IIMs, located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Kashipur, Trichy, Udaipur.

Another six IIMs which have been started in 2015 are located at Amritsar, Sirmaur, Nagpur, Bodhgaya, Sambalpur and Vishakhapatnam.