The Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC) Thursday accorded sanction to the establishment of 10 new government degree colleges at far flung areas of the state between 2019-2021, an official spokesman said.
The SAC, which met here under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik, also approved upgradation of 228 schools spread across various districts, the spokesman said.
He said the new colleges would be established at Tulail (Bandipora), Boniyar (Baramulla), Soibugh (Budgam), Kastigarh (Doda), Jourian (Jammu), Women College, Bhagwati Nagar (Jammu) Kralpora (Kupwara), Dharhal (Rajouri), Ghagwal (Samba) and Mongri-Panchari at Kainth Gali (Udhampur) during 2019,2020 and 2021.
The government has constituted a committee headed by Principal Secretary Finance with Administrative Secretaries of Planning, Higher Education and School Education Departments as its Members to examine the requirements of new degree colleges in the state as per the feasibility of each location.
Based on the recommendations of the committee, the SAC in an earlier meeting held on January 14 had approved locations for establishment of 40 degree colleges in the state.
"Continuing with its mandate, the committee after considering requests for new colleges received by the Higher Education department made recommendations for opening new degree colleges in locations that include far flung, underserved and backward areas of the state such as Tulail, Kralpora, Dharhal and Mongri besides a Women Degree College in Bhagwati Nagar Jammu.
"With the establishment of 10 new colleges, the students will have easy access to higher education within their areas. In all the Governors administration has approved 50 Degree Colleges so far," he said.
Regarding upgradation of 228 schools spread across various districts, the spokesman said 87 High Schools have been upgraded to the level of Higher Secondary Schools including 42 in Jammu division and 45 in Kashmir division.
Similarly, 123 Middle Schools have been upgraded to the level of High Schools including 58 in Jammu Division and 65 in Kashmir division, he said.
The spokesman said the SAC approved upgradation of 18 schools under centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha. These include 12 Middle Schools upgraded to High Schools including 8 in Jammu division and four in Kashmir division and six High Schools to Higher Secondary Schools including three in Jammu division and three in Kashmir division.
The SAC also approved upgradation of government Lower High School, Mallan Dessa Tehsil Bhagwah District Doda to High School, he said.
Besides, the spokesman said the SAC also directed the School Education Department to conduct a detailed exercise for consolidation of schools and rationalization of the staff in respect of such schools in the state particularly in the cities and big towns where the enrolment is low and the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR)is imbalanced with respect to the average state PTR.
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