While laying laid the foundation stone for the 700- bedded Mega Boys Hostel of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar through virtual mode, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said the government is working on an ambitious plan to make J&K the skill capital of the country.
He pointed out fast-changing market dynamics and new innovations taking place globally and the efforts being taken by the J-K Government to amplify exponential technologies ecosystem to meet the modern-day requirements.
“With our technical education infrastructure, rigorous career programs for high-demand technology in the post-Covid world, we are working on an ambitious plan to make J&K UT the skill capital of the country,” he said.
The Lt Governor asked the technical institutions to focus on strengthening academia-industry collaboration which he said is crucial for research, innovation and building human capital for economic growth.
“Technical institutes must experiment with new technologies for the benefit of society,” he said.
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan shared his views through a video message.
Asserting that the emerging technologies are a basic need of civilized society, the LG said that without new inventions, a developed society cannot be conceived.
“The modern era engineering technologies are making the world more connected and transforming lives of people living in far-flung areas. Today’s fantasy could be tomorrow’s invention. Even a small invention in the lab can make a big difference to the world. That’s why it is important to promote scientific temper among students,” he said.
Terming youth power as the biggest asset for any region, the Lt Governor said the potential of the young generation needs to be properly channelized for development. He also underlined the need for encouraging innovations and inventions as recommended by the new National Educational Policy.
Sinha said the government is taking a host of measures to make youth well-prepared for Industry 4.0. “We are planning to set up more Centres for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training in J&K in order to prepare trained technocrats equipped with new skill sets to meet the growing demands of Automation, Artificial Intelligence and e-commerce sectors,” he said.
The LG further said, “Jammu and Kashmir was deprived of industrial development for decades. Now, the Rs 28,400 cr new Industrial Development Scheme is transforming the industrial sector of the UT and attracting huge investments. Recently, J&K has received investment proposals worth Rs 23,500 cr and if we go by the recent scenario, the figure will reach Rs 50,000 cr by March next year.”
The development of key industries will create new job opportunities for youth, he added.
Dharmendra Pradhan in his video message said that the Mega Boys Hostel, once completed, will equip NIT Srinagar with modern facilities enabling the institution to accommodate the increasing number of student intake.
“I always believe that Jammu and Kashmir has a fundamental role to play in the development of the nation. The youth of J&K are filled with energy and aspirations,” he said. “Higher Education Institutions such as NIT Srinagar must channelize their talent, knowledge, and skill for the transformation of the UT and the entire country.”
