Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Sept, 24
A delegation of SKUAST-Teaching Association Jammu (SKUAST-TAJ) led by its President Dr. Vikas Sharma met Advisor Farooq Khan at Gandhi Nagar guest house and submitted a memorandum regarding rechristening of SKUAST-J and sanction of two additional faculties and one division to SKUAST-Jammu. President SKUAST-TAJ Dr. Vikas Sharma informed the advisor that the issue for sanction of two new faculties namely Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Faculty of Dairy Sciences and one more division i.e., Division of Seed Science & Technology has been made hostage to the process of seeking repeated queries for the last fourteen years. The issue was deliberated for the first time in the 4th Academic Council of SKUAST-J in May 2005 and after the approval of Board of Management (BOM) in the same year in August 2005, it was formally submitted to APD, Govt. of J&K and since then formal proposal is still awaiting nod of the Agriculture Production and Planning Department notwithstanding the detailed and point-wise justification of the proposal as well as reply to all the queries. In 2013, APD and Planning again asked for staff strength and budget requirement that was submitted in April, 2013. However in March 2014, APD asked for resubmission of proposal that was again resubmitted in the same month. Thereafter, in 2015 point wise justification along with the copy of norms for creation of staff was again submitted to Director Planning and APD.
“In 2018, Hon’ble Chancellor Sh. N. N. Vohra personally intervenes in the matter regarding establishment of new faculties of SKUAST-J. Moreover, in January 2019, the matter was deliberated in detail by teaching association with Hon’ble Governor of J&K Sh Satya Pal Mallik, but till date State Government has not sanctioned even a single additional faculty and division to SKUAST-J for the reasons best known to the persons at the helm of affairs in the State Government Administration”, said TAJ President. .
He further informed that SKUAST-Jammu is running with only two faculties namely Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Veterinary Sciences from the last 19 years whereas SKUAST-K possesses seven faculties to its credit.
Dr. Vivak M Arya general secretary of the association informed the advisor that most of the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) in India are established in the name of the State like Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Tamil Naidu Agricultural University (TNAU), Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT). Moreover, Agricultural Universities in our neighboring States have been established in the name of the State itself like Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) – Ludhiana, Haryana Agricultural University (HAU)- Hisar, Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (HPKV) – Palampur and even University of Jammu has its own identity, so on the same pattern Agricultural University of Jammu should be named as Jammu Agricultural University (JAU).
After giving a patient hearing to SKUAST-J teachers, advisor Farooq khan said that for the overall development of Jammu Division and to address time to time demands of farming community, there is a need to strengthen the only farm varsity of the region. Further, he assured full support to SKUAST-Jammu regarding sanction of new faculties and division. The deputation comprised of Dr. Vivek M. Arya – General Secretary, Dr. P.K. Rai – Joint Secretary, Dr. Devinder Sharma – Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rajeev Bharat-Treasurer Dr. Vinod Gupta-Executive and Dr. Poonam Parihaar -Executive.
