NEP Conclave: CM Omar Abdullah questions purpose of opening new colleges across J&K
Srinagar, Oct 25:: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned the rationale behind opening new degree colleges across the Union Territory, saying the move has not done justice to students.
Speaking at the valedictory function of a two-day conclave on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at Amar Singh College, Srinagar, Abdullah pointed out that some newly established degree colleges have fewer students than higher secondary schools.
“Have we done justice with students by opening new degree colleges? Did we serve any purpose when in some colleges the number of students is less than that of a higher secondary school? There are even colleges where teachers outnumber students,” he said.
The CM said the government must review the situation, noting that students continue to prefer older institutions despite the opening of new colleges. “Education at the doorstep is fine, but that education should not be diluted or compromised. Somewhere we have failed in this mission,” he added.
Abdullah criticised arbitrary planning, saying, “It seems that colleges have been opened without any criteria. If a college was established in one area, nearby areas demanded one as well. If a college was set up in a particular village, another was established in a nearby village. If this continues, we will have a college for every house. By doing so, we are playing with the future of our children.”
On the NEP’s Design Your Degree (DYD) programme, Abdullah described it as a major shift from rote learning. “Education in our country was often confined to rote learning: books were given, and students were expected to reproduce the same content in exams,” he said.
He added that previously, students were handed degrees and left to find jobs. “Companies would often say that after hiring educated youth, it took a year to make them forget what they had learnt,” Abdullah said.
“Now, students are empowered to design their own degrees—a concept not even available during my time. We were told to choose a stream, but what was taught under that stream was decided entirely by the school or college,” he explained.
The CM highlighted that contemporary students can choose degree components aligned with job requirements. “Alongside theoretical education, practical components have been added, which have significantly boosted students’ confidence,” he said.
