Jammu, Dec 11:
A high-level Committee headed by Principal Secretary Finance, Navin K. Choudhary, constituted by the Government to facilitate establishment of new Degree Colleges in the State met here today and reviewed the progress achieved in this regard. Commissioner/Secretary Higher Education, Sarita Chauhan, Secretary School Education, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Special Secretary Higher Education, Ch. Rashid Azam Inqalabi and Director General Planning, Satvir Kour attended the meeting. The meeting examined various issues on the matter vis-a-vis identification of locations for setting up of new Degree Colleges and phasing of already sanctioned Colleges by the Government. After detailed discussion, the issues including, potential of areas, feeding schools, enrollments of students in the feeding schools and feasibility for establishment of newly sanctioned institutions, the Committee finalized its report for submission to the Government. The said report will go to State Administrative Council for its consideration and approval. Pertinently, the Government had constituted a Committee headed by Finance Secretary on September 25, 2018 to facilitate establishment of new Degree Colleges in the State. The Committee was mandated to finalize the phasing of newly sanctioned 26 colleges (24 Degree Colleges and 2 Administrative Staff Colleges), and to examine the feasibility of likely location for 14 new colleges, keeping in view the prescribed norms and factors like enrollment, student-teacher ratio, faculty deployment, geographical conditions and financial requirements etc. The Committee was asked to submit its report to the Government within a period of two months.
