Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, chaired a workshop with 37 Principal Investigators from Kashmir’s leading academic and research institutions under the Sponsored Research and Extension Programme (SREP) 2025. The projects, spanning five strategic clusters and totaling over ₹515 lakh, aim to address regional challenges and improve public service delivery.

Institutions participating included IUST, SKUAST-K, NIT Srinagar, KU, CUK, SKIMS, GMC Srinagar, NIELIT, Cluster University Srinagar, ICAR-CITH, and others. Key research areas included Smart Agriculture & Food Security, Healthcare Innovation & Public Health, Food Safety & Quality, Sustainable Infrastructure & Climate Action, and Digital Governance & Heritage. Projects cover innovations such as AI-enabled IoT weather stations, smart IV infusion systems, saffron adulteration detection, hydro-solar power integration, manuscript preservation, and more.
Dr. Choudhary emphasized research as public service, directing investigators to formalize collaborations with relevant government departments, ensure pilot demonstrations within 45 days, and align outputs with governance timelines. He assured quarterly fund releases, inter-departmental facilitation, and infrastructure support through JKSTIC. A separate review for Jammu Province projects is scheduled.