Central university coming up in Jamm

Updated on: Thursday, August 06, 2009

Jammu: The first central university in Jammu and Kashmir will come up near this winter capital of the state, officials said on Wednesday, ending the simmering discontent among student organisations here who were protesting the government's reported move to shift the varsity venue to the Kashmir Valley.

The issue of shifting the venue to the valley and protests by students in Jammu was a "result of lack of communication and co-ordination between the state government and Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry", officials said.

Four cabinet ministers and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's political advisor announced this in a news conference here.

After the union government announced that the central university will be established in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government had identified a place close to Samba near Jammu for the site of the institution. But later there was a proposal to open it in the Kashmir Valley triggering a series of demonstrations by student groups, who were supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some trade bodies.

Central University Andolan Samiti (CUAS), a group of various students' and social organisations that spearheaded the protests, had threatened to hold mass agitation if the matter was not resolved by Aug 7.

Abdullah and some of his ministerial colleagues met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Monday asking for two central universities for the state - one each for Jammu and the Kashmir region.

However, it was not clear if the demand has been met.

Central university coming up in Jamm

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