Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) was established in Srinagar in the year 1982 through an Act passed by the State Legislature. Jammu had to wait and struggle for seventeen long years when in 1999, the SKUAST Kashmir was bifurcated and SKUAST Jammu came into existence. This also reminds us of a long wait for Jammu for the inception of Engineering College. This in itself reflects how Jammu was unfairly made to wait for such a long time for professional institutes of higher learning. The formal proposal of SKUAST-Jammu for approval to at least two more faculties and one division, is still awaiting nod of the Agriculture Production Department and the Planning Department since 2006 notwithstanding the detailed and point-wise justification of the proposal as well as reply to all the queries with regard to required staff strength and budget estimates for the same. Surprisingly while the request of SKUAST Jammu has been hanging fire for nine long years, SKUAST Kashmir has added five more faculties to its strength viz. Faculty of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Dairy Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Faculty of Forestry. In 1999, both the varsities had two faculties each; Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Veterinary Science. After sixteen years, Kashmir SKUAST has seven faculties and Jammu SKUAST stands at two faculties and yet the queries and questions put to SKUAST Jammu seem to be endless. If this is not calculated discrimination what other name can we give to it. Vice Chancellor of SKUAST Jammu emphatically asserts that all questions raised by the Departments of Agriculture Production and Planning over the years have been provided without delay but with submission of one set of answers another set of questions is raised. This piecemeal handling of the request of the SKUAST Jammu has done much harm to the student community of Jammu region.
We fervently hope that the Chancellor of SKUAST Jammu, who is also the Governor of the State, will take note of the disappointment which SKUAST Jammu is facing and order a quick decision of the case.
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