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SKUAST-K holds seminar on implementation of NEP-20 in agricultural institutions

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SKUAST-K seminar on implementation of NEP-20

Varsity creating its unique path in modern agri-education: Former VC Prof Tej Pratap

Srinagar, Feb 19: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir organised a seminar on ‘Implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by Agricultural Institutions’ for deans, directors, HODs, professors and other officers of the university.

Vice Chancellor, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar, Prof Tej Pratap, and Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, conducted the workshop to acquaint the SKUAST-K academics and office bearers with the various objectives and implementation process of NEP-20 by the agricultural institutions.

Prof Pratap, who is also chairman of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) committee set up for the implementation of NEP-20 in agricultural universities and heads the 6th Deans Committee for modification of farm education curriculums as per the new education policy, gave a detailed overview on the changing role and preparedness of agricultural institutions into multidisciplinary professional and skill universities as envisioned in the NEP-20.

He said the courses offered by agriculture varsities will have a more flexible structure and will be encouraged to become inter-disciplinary with flexibility in choosing vocational courses as the ICAR is working to bring agricultural education in line with the vision of the new policy unveiled by the Centre.

While preparing the students for creativity, critical thinking and conflict of perceptions, Prof Pratap said, NEP aims to enhance student employability by equipping them with different skills to overcome the challenge of unemployment.

Prof Tej Pratap, who also served as the vice-chancellor of SKUAST-K from 2010 to 2015, while complementing the university for its overall development over the years, said he is happy to see the university growing in each aspect of agricultural education, be it research, extension, academics, or innovations.

After listening to Vice Chancellor Prof Ganai about the SKUAST-K’s institutional development plan and its vision related to the implementation of NEP-20, Prof Tej Pratap said, “There are very few institutions in the country, who are at the level of thinking for creating its own path, the way SKUAST-K has envisioned its unique path in modern agri-education. This is beyond NEP. And this is the way forward.”

Prof Ganai gave a detailed overview of the varsity’s institutional development plan for making SKUAST-K a preferred Agri-Education destination and to develop a model education system to generate the next-gen graduates who will steer technology-driven agriculture in J&K and the country.

Drawing parallelism between NEP and the IDP of SKUAST-K, the vice chancellor said the university under the NAHEP had embarked on a mission to create an inspiring ecosystem for outcome-based learning to foster creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial aptitude.

Prof Ganai said SKUAST-K has already got approval for establishing the innovation and entrepreneurship centre and AI&ML Centre for fostering startups and tech-based solutions for agriculture.

Besides scientists and scholars, all the directors, deans HoDs, professors and adminstrative officers of the varsity attended the seminar.

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Education

GNK hosts JAI scholarship distribution function

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GNK hosts JAI scholarship

Scholarships worth Rs 1 cr distributed among 550 meritorious students, sports achievers

 Yamunanagar (Haryana): Guru Nanak Khalsa College Yamunanagar hosted the Jamna Auto Industries Scholarship Distribution Function, a significant event aimed at recognizing and rewarding deserving meritorious students and sports achievers from the GNK Group of Institutions.

The institutions under the GNK Group umbrella include Guru Nanak Khalsa College Yamunanagar, GGS College of Pharmacy, GNK Institute of Technology and Management, and School of Employability.

A total scholarship amount of Rs 1 crore was distributed among 550 students, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to nurturing academic excellence and sporting talent. The event was graced by dignitaries, including Major Rajinder Singh Bhatti, Vice President of the Guru Nanak Khalsa College Committee; Dr Peer GN Suhail, Group COO of GNK Group of Institutions; and Sanyam Maratha, Group CSR Head of Jamna Auto Industries.

The ceremony commenced with a tree plantation ceremony, symbolizing growth and sustainability, followed by the traditional lighting of the lamp. Dr. Harinder Singh Kang, Principal of Guru Nanak Khalsa College Yamunanagar, expressed gratitude for the generous scholarships sponsored by JAI as part of their CSR initiative. Sanyam Maratha, Head of JAI CSR, shared insights into the organization’s commitment to supporting education and empowering deserving students.

Dr Peer GN Suhail presented and released the Annual Report of GNKGI during the event, highlighting the academic achievements and milestones of the institutions. The function culminated with an inspiring address by the Chief Guest, accompanied by a formal vote of thanks delivered by Dr Kumar Gaurave, Principal of GGS College of Pharmacy.

GNK hosts JAI scholarship

The event was graced by the presence and support of eminent personalities including Dr Kumar Gaurave, Dr Amit Joshi (Director GNK Institute of Technology and Management), Dr Kamalpreet Kaur (Vice Principal of Guru Nanak Khalsa College Yamunanagar), and Prof Santosh Kurra (Coordinator Incharge) alongside other esteemed staff members.

Sardar Randeep Singh Jauhar, President of the Governing Body and Managing Committee of Guru Nanak Khalsa Group of Institutions, extended heartfelt congratulations to the scholarship recipients, emphasizing the institution’s unwavering commitment to fostering excellence in education and holistic development.

The JAI Scholarship Distribution Function served as a testament to the collective efforts of institutions and organizations towards empowering deserving students and nurturing a brighter future for the community.

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NIRF-2023 ranking: SKUAST-K 9th best agri institute in country

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SKUAST-K 9th best agri institute

BK News

Srinagar, June 5: Further enhancing its rising graph of accomplishments, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir has secured ninth best agriculture institute rank in the country assessed under the National Institutional Ranking Framework-2023 of Union Ministry of Education.

The ranking and results of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)-2023 were announced by the Minister of State for Education and External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh in New Delhi on Monday.

In the category of ‘Agriculture and Allied Sectors, SKUAST-K is the fourth state agricultural university (SAU) which has figured among the top 10 farm institutions of the country along with IARI, NDRI, IVRI, and CIFE with a total score of 59.50. This recognition has further solidified the university’s upward trajectory of success placing it in the league of elite agricultural institutions of the country.

The NIRF ranking is the third successive national-level achievement of the SKUAST-K after being declared the country’s 6th best state agricultural university by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and categorised as the ‘Band Excellent’ under Atal Innovation Ranking last year.

SKUAST-K 9th best agri instituteVice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, complimented the faculty, students, and non-teaching staff of the university for the tireless efforts they are making in achieving the highest standards in research, innovation and education, the reason for getting the top rank. Calling it the result of teamwork, he said, “This is the beginning of the new era and we aim to be among the top five agri-institutions of the country.”

SKUAST-K has taken a lead role in evolving a working model of NEP-2020 as well as projecting itself as a potential destination for higher education.  The improved ranking is a result of the improvement of academic standards and achievements of faculty and students at national and international levels.

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Classrooms brim with learning anew

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Classrooms brim with learning

CRY-RILM project unites kids with books

BK News

Inayat Parvaiz was a decent student in school, till the pandemic struck. His father, the only earning member in the five-member family, lost his job and was struggling to make ends meet. The young boy was forced to join his brother at a sand digging/extraction site near his village, Baniyaree Sharkie, in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Inayat is among the millions of children across the country going through a huge learning lag, all because of the prolonged closure of schools during the pandemic. CRY and Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) carried out a study based on responses of 4000 children, in the age group of 7-14,  from 4 states in the country – Jharkhand, West Bengal, Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir – to assess the quantum of loss, and also started a slew of remedial centres to assist the children make up for the lag. There are 39 such centres across the four states.

The CRY-RILM-Jammu Kashmir Association of Social Workers (JKASW) team identified Inayat as “out of school” and visited his father. They realized that the boy was willing to pursue his studies but could not do so, because of compulsions in his family. Although reluctant at first, his parents decided to let him attend the local Asha Kiran Centre in a flexible manner. He started attending classes and also started participating in various other activities. After his initial assessment, he was enrolled in Level 2 at the Asha Kiran Centre.  But regular attendance and diligent efforts meant that the boy made an appreciable improvement. After his final assessment, he was mainstreamed into Class 6 at Govt. Middle school, Gund Prang. He attends school regularly and makes it a point to attend remedial classes at the Asha Kiran Centre to compensate for his deficiencies.

Classrooms brim with learning Classrooms brim with learning anew, the CRY-RILM project unites kids with books!

There are nine Asha Kiran Centres in three panchayat blocks of Bandipora district. Of the 565 children who joined these centres, around 16.81 per cent had dropped out of school because of the pandemic and related reasons and 64.8 per cent were found to be officially enrolled in school, but without age-appropriate learning levels. Around 44.1 per cent of the kids were found to be “poor” (learning levels at least two years behind their age-appropriate class) in basic reading skills and 45.1 per cent in basic calculations.

The stark ground reality in J&K mirrors the findings across the three other states in the country. Around 3.9 per cent of the 4000 children had been found to have dropped out because of the pandemic-induced school closure and more than 75 per cent of the children were found to be “poor” in basic reading skills and calculations.

CRY (North) Regional Director Soha Moitra is hopeful that change will happen, step by step. “The learning loss has been unparalleled, the exact ramifications of which will take longer to fathom and make up. In this post-COVID world, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing the educational needs of children from underserved communities. Every community, every child and every context is unique. It is important to adopt and embrace contextually relevant and inclusive approaches that take into consideration the diverse needs and aspirations of children,” Moitra said.

Over the past eight months, the teachers at the Asha Kiran Centres in J&K have managed to bring back the children into some sort of a study environment, with regular classes, innovative Teaching-Learning Methods, extra-curricular activities and more. Students like Inayat, Tawfeeq Ahmed and several others have benefitted enormously from these classes and are showing appreciable improvement in the periodical assessments.

“The post-COVID learning assessment of 4,000 children across 4 states in the country, by CRY and Rotary India Literacy Mission, presents evidence on the severity of the learning losses incurred during school closures, and also charts out a path of recovery, phase by phase. It’s a journey full of lessons and experiences and a sustained campaign that has impacted not only the kids, but also the teachers, volunteers, parents and extended community.  Kudos to the ‘change-makers’ who are making it happen,” said Kamal Sanghvi, Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission.

Classrooms brim with learning

Apart from the classes, the project team has held community meetings with teachers of local schools, local panchayat members and parents, all to create a comfortable space that will help the children overcome their learning gaps and get back into mainstream education.

Tawfeeq’s father Javed Ahmed was initially reluctant to send his son to the Asha Kiran Centre. But he is happy that he had finally paid heed to the advice of the project team members who had visited him.  A few months on, the proud father says:  “Asha Kiran Centre me mera beta bahot kuch sikh raha hai. Use yahan aana achha lagta hai (My son is learning a lot at the Asha Kiran Centre. He loves to come here).

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