Ganderbal, Jan 26: The Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir) celebrated the 77th Republic Day with patriotic fervour at its Tulmulla Campus, coinciding this year with the 150th anniversary of the song Vande Mataram, a tribute to India’s freedom struggle.

The celebrations commenced with the unfurling of the national flag by Vice-Chancellor Prof. A. Ravinder Nath, who also took the salute of the marching contingent comprising security personnel and staff. The Chief Proctor, designated as the Nodal Officer for the event, ensured the smooth conduct of all proceedings.
The ceremony was attended by Dean Academic Affairs, Registrar, Deans of Schools, Heads and Coordinators of Departments, Dean of Students Welfare, faculty members, administrative officials, research scholars, and students.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Nath extended Republic Day greetings and reflected on the spirit of the Constitution, emphasizing the balance between Fundamental Rights and Duties. He urged the University community to use such national commemorations as moments of introspection, assessing their contributions to the nation, society, institutions, families, and themselves.
Highlighting a major milestone, the Vice-Chancellor announced the University’s success in securing a significant grant for the establishment of its permanent campus, noting that the development will bring visible transformation and strengthen the University’s role as a hub for knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prof. Nath called on the academic community to envision the new campus with imagination and ownership. He stressed the importance of innovation, efficiency, and accountability in the rapidly evolving global education landscape. Citing India’s aspiration to emerge as a global knowledge hub, he urged universities to internalize these values to achieve sustainable academic excellence.
He emphasized that global collaboration depends on connectivity, mobility, and assured employability, highlighting the need for structured programs to identify and nurture talent, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 institutions like CUKashmir.
Turning to internal reforms, the Vice-Chancellor underlined the role of students, faculty, and research scholars in translating national initiatives such as Viksit Bharat @2047 into actionable outcomes through innovation-driven measures, including start-up grants to promote entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
Prof. Nath also underscored institutional responsibility, urging commitment, measurable outcomes, and collaborative effort among all stakeholders to maintain the University’s standing as a premier institution of higher education.
Reiterating the University’s social responsibility, he highlighted community-centric initiatives, including academic assistance, cleanliness drives, environmental awareness programs, and threefold internships spanning research, industry, and community engagement to enhance employability and contribute to nation-building. He further announced ongoing policy formulation in energy, water, green campus, smart campus, digital campus, and cybersecurity, encouraging active participation from students and scholars.
The programme proceedings were conducted by Sr. Asst. Prof. Dr. Firdous Ahmad Sofal, who also proposed the vote of thanks.
Simultaneously, a Republic Day function was held at the University’s Green Campus, where Prof. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Department of Management Studies, unfurled the Tricolour and addressed participants, urging them to uphold constitutional values, academic excellence, and service to the nation. The proceedings were conducted by Sr. Asst. Prof. Dr. Gulafroz Jan.