'Jammu has emerged as an education hub in north India'

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said that Jammu has emerged as a pioneer education hub, where students from neighbouring states such as Himachal Pradesh, Punjab are seeking academic openings and prospects.

Delivering the keynote address at five years' journey of IIM, Jammu, Singh said: "Jammu is fast emerging as North India's Education Hub. This has been possible because of personal intervention and indulgence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and high prioritisation given by him to Jammu and Kashmir as also to Northeast and Ladakh."

"The Institute (IIM, Jammu) has made a mark in a very short span of time and that too despite the crippling effects of Covid in the last two years. The IIM Jammu is one of the major achievements of the Modi government in the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir and is catering to all sections of society, be it region wise or gender wise or otherwise," a government statement quoted him as saying on Sunday.

He mentioned that today, Jammu can boast of having premier institutes in India like IIT, IIMC, AIIMS, upgraded Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of High Altitude Medicine at Bhaderwah, Industrial Biotech Park at Kathua, North India's first Space Centre at Central University Jammu and other.

Singh said Jammu will soon witness huge industrial investment to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore and mostly in the health sector thus opening a large number of employment opportunities for youth in the area and also for IIM students.

He, however, urged them to become job providers, rather than job seekers through innovative start-up ventures.

"We have to come out of the entrenched mindset of getting government jobs for all, which is neither feasible nor desirable anywhere in the world," he said.

Singh claimed that with the historical constitutional changes happened after August 5, 2019 and the barriers of academic growth done away with, the best faculty from different fields from all over India are ready to come to Jammu and Kashmir to serve with dedication as the previous apprehensions have gone now with the new order of law coming into existence.