NIT Srinagar not to be shifted, says HRD Ministry

SRINAGAR: The Union Human Resources Development Ministry (HRDM) has rejected outrightly the outstation students’ demand that Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology (NIT) they study in be shifted out of Kashmir.

It has also turned down their plea that alternatively campus extension be set up somewhere outside the Valley or migration rules relaxed to enable desiring students to move out and get enrolled at convenient NITs elsewhere in the country.

However, the HRDM and Jammu and Kashmir government have accepted the protesting students’ demand of improving infrastructure on the campus including providing them with better amenities including good washrooms, a recreational hall, uninterrupted power supply and communication facilities such as Wi-Fi Internet access.

“Though security is not an issue as such, we’re committed to provide it to them. It is our fundamental duty,” said Jammu and Kashmir’s education minister, Syed Naeem Akhtar, who along with Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh, had had two rounds of talks with the protesting students on Friday and Saturday.

The second round of talks was joined also by a two-member team of HRDM comprising S.K. Sharma, Director NITs and Fazal Mehmood, Deputy Director Finance, at the ministry which has been camping in Srinagar for past four days.  Chairman, Board of Governors (NIT, Srinagar) M. J. Zarabi has also been part of the parleys aimed at defusing tensions on the campus.

However, Director NIT, Srinagar stayed away as outstation students are reported to be unhappy with him and have openly accused him of turning blind eye on their problems.

It may be recalled that the campus had on April 1 witnessed clashes after Kashmiri students celebrated India’s defeat at the hands of West Indies in ICC Twenty-20 semi final by chanting pro-Pakistan slogans and lightening fireworks.