Focus on education sector
The reforms in various sectors in Jammu and Kashmir have brought into focus those key areas which have witnessed no or very slow growth in the region. One such key sector is the education sector which has witnessed a serious neglect over the years.
Most importantly, the higher education sector has over the years seen an utter disregard as not even a single institution was created that could have been providing an alternate for the students here.
Ironically, the need to have good institutions of higher learning in the UT is felt very badly. This is evident from the fact that every year more than 12,000 students from Kashmir valley end up joining various professional colleges in outside states to seek education in those streams which are not available here.
The movement of such a large number of students every year is also affecting the economy of the region as rough surveys suggest that around Rs 1800 to 2100 Crore of cash moves out of the region because of this phenomenon.
Under these circumstances various questions are raised as to why Kashmir as well as Jammu is lacking in establishing institutions of higher learning. And secondly, why isn’t the local breed of investors coming out with a solution to this problem.
The question also remains as to why the previous administrations did not allowing the local entrepreneurs to invest in education sector so that they could establish colleges, universities in Kashmir which could boost employment opportunities here and also help in retaining the flight of cash from this region.
The education sector has seen negligence is evident from the fact that very few colleges have come up in the private sector in Kashmir valley. For this the onus lies on the previous governments as well as no effort was put in into this crucial sector.
The government should have promoted investment even from private sector in higher education and professional streams. For this a clear cut policy such as a single window clearance system should have been put in place so that more and more private players could have entered the sector.
Under ease of doing business, there has to be a mechanism in Kashmir that anybody having requisite infrastructure and capital in place should be allowed to establish quality educational institutions which could hold the students back.
For turning this effort into a reality no proposal has been even mooted over the years which tell about the sincerity of the past government in this regard.
Though the entrepreneurs and even the academicians have resources to open world-class colleges and universities in Kashmir, but it is the previous governments that have been repeatedly blocking any such move.
During the past many years more than 100 proposals were put forward but they were either rejected or set aside for want of clearance. Even various proposals to establish zones and special areas to develop educational institutions too have not been cleared by the previous governments. Though some effort has been spared in this regard as several proposals have been submitted by some private players, but still serious efforts to fast track these cases have been missing in this regard.
As for the government it needs to speed up things in this critical sector and help promote investment in this high returns sector. It will be good for our economy and will also help in creating employment opportunities as well.
KV News
