Govt brings parents, PSAJK on table to discuss operation of private schools
In a significant development, the J&K government last week brought together main stakeholders of the private education sector-schools associations and parents on a table to deliberate on the functioning of the private schools and parental concerns.
The meeting was chaired by minister for education Sakina Itoo and was attended by top officers of the School Education Department (SED). It was for the first time that representatives of parents associations and private school associations raised their concern face to face. The representative of the Parent association raised the issues including school fee structure, winter fees, transport fees and inclusion of books beyond NCERT. The president of Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK), Nazrul Islam Baba besides the representatives of J&K Private Schools Forum demanded that PNIC should be cancelled and replaced with simple verification by the concerned police stations besides demanding replacement of NOC with affidavits signed by the first class magistrates.
Later the education minister acknowledged the issues faced by the private schools on account of obtaining NoCs besides taking into consideration the grievances raised by the parents.
KBSA meets Education Minister
The education minister was also called on by a delegation of the Kashmir Booksellers and Stationers Association (KBSA) last week. The meeting was held a day before the education minister chaired a meeting with private schools and representatives of parents association.
The KBSA delegation was led by President Mudasir Ahmad Posh and General Secretary Waseem Javaid Zargar who discussed various issues concerning the book trade in Jammu and Kashmir. The KBSA delegation highlighted key concerns and challenges faced by booksellers and stationers, as well as matters related to the smooth functioning and credibility of the trade. The education minister Sakina Itoo, as per the handout, has assured her full cooperation and every possible support in addressing the genuine concerns of the book trade.
CUK’s EC approves launch of new programmes, hails VC for shaping academics, infra development of varsity
The 31st meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) was held in New Delhi last week. The meeting was chaired by the Vice Chancellor (CUK), Prof. A Ravinder Nath.
Registrar CUK Dr. Nisar Ahmad Mir presented the agenda of the meeting. In his address, VC CUK underscored the University’s commitment to academic excellence, and inclusive growth. He said that CUK being comparatively young has steadily evolved into a vibrant centre of learning. “Our focus remains on strengthening academic foundations, promoting research-driven innovation, and ensuring student-centric governance,” he said. The Council approved the launch of new Schools, Departments, and academic programmes aimed at broadening the University’s academic canvas. These include the establishment of the School of Multidisciplinary Studies and the School of Skill Studies, both envisioned as key drivers in fostering holistic education, innovation, and employability.
The EC also approved the creation of a Department of Psychology, recognizing the growing relevance of psychological studies in addressing individual and societal challenges in a rapidly changing world.
The Executive Council gave its nod to the introduction of new programmes, including the MBA (Executive) programme, Master’s in Educational Technology, and Master’s in Educational Administration. These programmes are designed to cater to working professionals, educators, administrators, and aspiring leaders, thereby expanding access to quality higher education while responding to emerging demands in governance, technology-enabled learning, and educational leadership. Also, the Executive Council approved the adoption of the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) and cleared the University’s proposal to launch Apprenticeship Embedded Undergraduate Programmes under NATS.