Professor A. Ravinder Nath, Vice Chancellor of Central University of Kashmir in an interview to Brighter Kashmir Editor-in-Chief Farooq Wani said encouraging Kashmir’s youth to aspire for higher education is key to improving the region’s socio-development index.

In response to a question on National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020), VC Nath said NEP-2020’s focus is learner-centric.
“Earlier, the teacher-student exchange was rote-based, i.e., whatever a teacher said, the student had to learn. Nowadays, it is not like that. Now, the teacher has to deliver what the student needs. Teachers have to update themselves to meet the academic desires of their students,” he said. “In fact, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of them is quality education”.
India, he said, is now an information-seeking society and, therefore, for any academic institution, offering quality education is a priority.
“At CUK, we are meeting the basic requirements of NEP-2020. Inculcating values and promoting character building among the students will enable society to move towards prosperity and be at peace. It is our endeavor to follow the directions given by the regulatory bodies with regard to the curriculum framework,” the VC CUK said.
“We have launched Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum and Credit Framework for Post-Graduate Programs. We have issued research guidelines in 2022 for how PhD is to be instituted and what categories of students are to be admitted, and so on,” he said.
Stressing that they are also ensuring equity, he said, “Equity is not limited to only social and demographic dimensions, but other dimensions too. We are looking at the students’ learner background and capability, i.e., inclusive pedagogy. We have introduced five levels of learning – one is teaching. The CUK curricula is designed in such a way that it is internationally acceptable and facilitates student mobility. Our qualifications are equivalent to what the rest of the world’s best universities offer.”
When asked whether CUK has been able to implement NEP-2020, Nath said, “Most teachers attending MMTC programmes to nurture India’s future leadership are not able to translate whatever they acquire from those programmes. I have decided to take up online classes to enable them to understand. Fortunately, I have been involved in higher education policy making since 2006 and it has helped. I take classes in the morning and focus on my administrative activities in the afternoons.”
Asked what he has done in his two-and-a-half years stint as VC to uplift the university, he said, “I have always believed in converting adversity into opportunity. CUK is an over 15-years-old institution, but still in a formative stage. I am confident that any reforms I bring will shape a better tomorrow.”
When asked what is being done to bring the CUK at par with other universities like Kashmir University, Jammu University, etc, Nath said, “I have submitted a detailed pilot report to the government a year ago. It is now in the final stage of implementation. It is with the Department of Expenditure and the Public Investment Board, Ministry of Finance, as also with the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). Once they endorse it, we are expecting a release order for Rs.400 crores for capital assets and Rs.156 crores for recurring assets for a period of three years.”
“Rs.400 crore will be used for constructing six school academic blocks - G 4 is there. Each block will occupy 7000 square meters in space, i.e., at least 70,000 square feet. Each will have four departments and all of them will come up as per “Green Building Norms.” Our buildings will have carbon neutrality and we will make CUK a “Green” campus, smart campus and a digital campus,” he said.
“I would like to say that we were told this land is not suitable for construction, but through a technical committee report and assessment, we have arrived at the possibility of construction using all the native technologies with a minimal additional cost. We are hopeful of success in the next 24 to 30 months. Construction agencies bidding for this project must ensure automation, innovation and construction management, while adhering to all national building code norms,” the VC said.
He further said he is focusing on expanding student-housing facilities.
“We are liaising with private accommodation providers to ensure rationalised rented accommodation and student affordability. We have created a Chief Warden’s Office to liaise with local housing providers. Mostly, male students are staying in them; some girl students are staying also. Our arts campus, for example, can accommodate up to 30 to 40 students, but I am upgrading it to a 100-students level, with a separate dining hall, kitchen and a special reading room facility,” he said
“We are operating a transport facility up to 30 kilometers radius. There are 13 to 14 buses currently operating. We want to have our own hostel buildings with 1000 capacity – 500 for girl students and 500 for boy students,” he said. “Probably, in two years, we can overcome all these particular constraints.”
The VC announced that the varsity has launched three new academic programs.
“At the undergraduate level, we have launched B.A. (Hons) in English and BBA (Hons) in Management. In sciences, B Sc. Chemistry (Hons) will be introduced this year. I have been trying to bring new programs for the last two years. By revising syllabus, we want to attract students to employable specific programs,” he said.
When asked about facilities provided to students from outside J&K, VC said, “When I joined CUK, there were 159 students from outside J&K. Today, there are nearly 400 such students. We have private housing providers offering accommodation based on affordability. We are also monitoring student safety and security as per local law enforcing norms”.
When asked what his vision was for Kashmir’s youth and how they should build their careers, Nath said, “I am happy to see J&K Government doing a lot for the youth of Kashmir. The Yuva Mission is an outstanding example of success. Recently, I received a nearly 300-page wonderful document conceived by them. If the university adopts some of its components, the local youth can be successfully trained in that direction”.
“Students are coming to CUK for three purposes --- that is called 3Es, which is Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship. This 3Es concept, I intend to make workable. This Mission Yuva is now shaping the 3Es concept. Students are not as keen for higher education, as they are for acquiring some skill training and entrepreneurship. Kashmir has vast resources and many natural wonders. This can be translated into some kind of attraction; tourism can be given a boost. Only if peace prevails, can progress come naturally,” he said.
On growing drug abuse among youth in Kashmir, VC CUK said, “There should be strict drug abuse enforcement and good rehabilitation facilities. Parents must take responsibility to inculcate the importance of family, legacies, etc., among their children. They must enrich and empower them to lead dignified lives with decorum.”
“If children are made aware, they will emerge as leaders, contributors to societal progress and national economic empowerment,” he added.