Fight terror, embrace tech: LG Sinha

Jammu, Nov 13: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday exhorted the members of civil society of J&K to “stand up against the scourge of terrorism with a resolute courage and unmask all those nurturing terror eco-system and propagating extremist narratives.”

LG Sinha, who is also the Chancellor of the University of Jammu (JU), was delivering his keynote address as the chief guest during the 19th second special convocation of the varsity at Zorawar Singh Auditorium here.

His exhortation was in context with the recent Delhi blast, which brought to the fore “white-collared radicalisation”.

The LG subtly made a clarion call to the people of J&K, particularly the intelligentsia, to join the war against terrorism and its entire ecosystem, which he said, was “promoting extremism, creating and proliferating its narratives.”

“Security forces are performing their duty with an unflinching determination to wipe out terrorism and rip its ecosystem to shreds. They will not rest till terrorism is completely annihilated. But the society, as a whole, too, shares a critical responsibility on this account. Any society, where its members don’t stand up to extricate a menace consuming its present and future, lags behind vis-à-vis the march to peace and development,” he said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is Pro Chancellor of JU, also addressed the convocation as the guest of honour.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, JU Vice Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai, and member University Council Prof Ashok K Kaul too shared the presidium with the Chancellor and the Pro Chancellor. The LG, who presided over the event, said, “I want to pay my tributes to all those who lost their lives in the Delhi blast on November 10 and also extend my deepest sympathies to all the bereaved families. I believe that terrorism is the biggest enemy of development and peace. The people of J&K, caught in the vortex of terrorism, have suffered for a very long time.”

He said that the youth of J&K were envisioning new dreams in the contemporary milieu under changed circumstances.

“Fuelled by their aspirations, J&K youth’s wings propel them to the same summit of excellence as is being achieved by their counterparts in other parts of the country and the world,” LG Sinha said.

“Hence, I want to request all the rational, well-informed citizens, the intelligentsia in particular, that it was the need of the hour to expose all those – whoever they may be - resorting to terrorism; promoting or sheltering it; propagating and disseminating narratives of extremism. If it is not done and radicalisation is not countered, it will become an existential threat to the growth and peace in society,” he said.

The LG commended the contribution of non-teaching staff also in the growth story of JU.

He lauded the progress of JU in the past three years, particularly with regard to its improved NAAC ranking and A in the 4th cycle of the comprehensive evaluation process conducted by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

“It’s heartening to note that JU inspired many other higher institutions of education in the country with its unique initiatives,” LG Sinha said.

Initiating his discourse with the fast-changing scenario in education and technology, he said that a strategic futurist around 21 years ago brought a new revolution in knowledge management, learning, and training technology through digital open course material.

The LG said that in the education sector, the major impact of technology was experienced in 2023 when Artificial Intelligence (AI) gave birth to a new global movement with a range of new products and platforms.

“This has even redefined the role of universities in the acceleration of technology. In 2010, in the ‘Idea of program’ of the University of Oregon, a beautiful and revolutionary thought came to the fore - ‘Universities are no longer the sole gatekeepers of new knowledge.’ This is proving right in the present milieu. And the Gen Z or DIY (Do It Yourself) generation’s aspirations, needs, and the platforms being used by them for learning have reaffirmed that the varsities will have to carefully reorient learning experience for students to stay relevant and also make activities and classroom lectures in sync with evolving life,” he said.

LG Sinha said, “In 2025, the universities, as compared to just 3-4 years ago, have emerged as vibrant places which buoy up curiosity and momentum to innovation. Focus is less on degrees and subjects. Now the students don’t need to spend hours in the classrooms, but they acquire knowledge in real time through open sources. Now the classrooms have turned into a launch pad for lifelong learning and skills.”

He reiterated that the real objective of education was to enhance curiosity among the students so as to develop multi-dimensional personalities.

“Curiosity propels independent critical thinking. Inquiry-based learning helps boost problem-solving skills,” the LG said. In this context, he shared five fundamental guiding principles with the students.

“First, never forget humility, hunger to learn, and a work ethic to succeed in life. Your degree will open the door of opportunity for the first time, but it is your talent, determination, dedication, reskilling, and willingness to adapt to change that will ensure endless opportunities in the future. Second, be kind and compassionate. Skills get you hired, but it is your character and your ideals that ensure that you grow in life. Character, moral values, integrity, reliability, and trust will define your career more than any other credentials,” he said.

“The third principle will be – never stop learning. The professional world rewards those who are adventurous and ever ready to learn, experiment, adapt, and turn mistakes into mastery. Fourth, do not believe but be curious. It will help you to tread a new path and mentor the coming generations. Fifth, be resilient and flexible in re-skilling yourself,” LG Sinha advised.

He said that the convocation would make the students unshackled for an experimental life-long learning ahead.

Focusing on instinctive knowledge, the LG referred to Henry Winkler’s quote, “Your mind knows only a few things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.” He said that by 2030, the education sector would witness a major revolution.

“AI will develop such a hybrid system where the students won’t attend lectures for information but for mentorship. So, the universities will have to keep on evolving and reorienting their approaches vis-à-vis imparting knowledge. Teachers will have to compete with technology, and they will have to prepare better than AI-based lectures to stay relevant,” LG Sinha said. Pointing out that every varsity and every teacher was engaged in an existential struggle, he said that an interactive style would help counter this (AI-driven) threat.

Underscoring the importance of embracing change in the higher education sector, the LG asked the faculty members to focus on skill-first curriculum, collaboration across disciplines, and keeping pace with evolving trends to meet the demands of India's economy and society.

He exhorted the JU teachers to design their classroom lectures from the perspective of “future employers.”

“This will also strengthen JU-corporate partnerships. That is why there is a need to strengthen research infrastructure and its focus on outcomes by exploiting cutting-edge technologies. Artificial Intelligence is a reality today, not a technicality, and the sooner we accept the need to create a balanced blend of technology and human faculty, the more we will be able to adapt ourselves to modern transformation,” LG Sinha said.

“Always remember that if you have a hunger for learning, then the whole world will become a university campus and it will help you in transforming ideas into solutions,” he said. With regard to challenges in Humanities streams, the LG emphasised the need to redefine and reinvent to create more opportunities.

“As per a global survey, employers are viewing ‘critical thinking’ as a ‘major skill-gap’ and to fulfil this gap, students with humanities streams are being hired, thus bringing new changes in the employment landscape. The demands of ‘Narrative system designers’ and ‘Cultural strategists’ are rising in the corporate sector. Universities abroad are introducing new courses keeping in view the change in demand due to technology penetration,” he said.

LG Sinha said that in the changing times, the students, like computers, would have to “reboot their learning systems” as well continuously to remain updated and stay relevant in the professional world. “This is imperative to contribute to the growth journey of robust J&K and India,” he said.