J&K LG sets six-month deadline for universities to implement degree reforms
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed higher education institutions to adopt the Design Your Degree programme to align with the National Education Policy 2020.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday established a six-month timeline for universities in the region to execute the ‘Design Your Degree’ programme. According to The Tribune, the initiative is intended to reform higher education in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Chairing a high-level meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Council (JKHEC) at Lok Bhavan, Sinha stated that transforming the higher education system into a holistic and visionary one is a shared responsibility. He said the time has arrived to turn council initiatives into real achievements to benefit students through outcome-oriented resource use.
The meeting included Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister Shamim Firdous, and JKHEC Vice-Chairman Prof Dinesh Singh, among others. The council discussed a roadmap for academic excellence and research, specifically focusing on restructuring undergraduate and postgraduate courses under the new framework.
Sinha called for increased collaboration between institutions, suggesting they share research laboratories, academic credits, and other resources. He also urged the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and data science into academic curricula.
The Lieutenant Governor noted that academic programmes should incorporate regional needs, local culture, and languages. He added that successful reform would necessitate long-term strategies and deep institutional changes.
The Council also reviewed the progress of entrepreneurship programmes and Engineering Kitchens. Members also examined budgetary allocations and the mechanism for distributing funds.