Srinagar, Jun 24 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday chaired the 36th University Council meeting of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir and approved a series of institutional reforms and future initiatives aimed at strengthening the university’s academic, research and innovation ecosystem.
The meeting, held at Lok Bhavan here, was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, senior officials, academicians and representatives of national agricultural institutions.
Among the decisions approved by the council were the upgradation of the Agricultural Research Information System into the Directorate of Information Technology and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell into the Directorate of Quality Assurance.
The council also cleared the establishment of an International Students Cell to facilitate global outreach and support students from abroad, officials said.
As part of the university’s long-term development strategy, proposals were approved for setting up a Centre for Agri Innovation, Analytics and Certification as a National Reference Laboratory, an Agri-Startup Park to support over 50 startup enterprises, and a Global Veterinary School envisioned as an internationally benchmarked centre for veterinary education, research and clinical services.
Addressing the meeting, Sinha said the university’s transformative initiatives have the potential to position it as a leading innovation-driven and globally engaged agricultural institution.
He also directed the Vice Chancellor to ensure that University Council meetings are held at least twice annually for timely review of academic and administrative matters.
Vice Chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai, while presenting the university report, said the institution has made significant progress in national rankings and developed the largest startup ecosystem among higher educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ganai said the university has secured 123 intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks and designs, reflecting a strong focus on innovation and translational research.
He further informed the council that nearly 30 per cent of the university’s students are from outside Jammu and Kashmir, indicating its growing national outreach and academic appeal. (NVI)
