Central University of Kashmir Vice Chancellor Mehraj ud Din Mir admitted his failure in setting up proper infrastructure for the varsity during his present tenure as the vice-chancellor of the university.

“I have failed so far the setting up infrastructure here. I do admit it and it do confess it. I have given it in black and white,” CUK VC said in an interview to Brighter Kashmir.
“We used to have a meeting every year with the President of India and there too we confessed that we have not made any progress as far as infrastructure is concerned,” he said during the interview.
He said that the land that CUK has been allotted at Tumulla near about 5000 kannals is marshy and full of water bodies.
“When contract was given to CPWD, they were initially requested to raise a wall which the initial estimated cost was around Rs 9 crores but they built only 10 percent of the wall and then stopped the work. Then they came with the revised estimate of Rs 26 crores. Then 10 percent works CPWD did also tilted and developed cracks,” the VC said.
He said that it is also true that crores of rupees of developmental funds have also lapsed. “I also confess that till we were in rental buildings we have paid near about more than Rs 26 crores. And initially there was huge chunk of money with us for raising infrastructure which we could not utilize and it was kept with us for three years but finally we had to surrender that money back to the ministry,” the VC confessed.
He said that it is not the fault of the CUK administration but the marshy land that the varsity was provided by the authorities that gave the land.
He said the CUK administration reached out to the state on behalf of the central government and made request for alternative land. “We have asked for additional 1000 kanal of land which is a load bearing quality land but we were provided only 90 kannals of land near Watla area instead of 1000 kanal,” the incumbent VC said during the interview.
He said the varsity enrollment despite many issues is going on at a good speed and that the students are showing a keen interest about joining the varsity. “Our enrollment is going up and as on date our enrollment is highest than other central universities which came into being with us,” the VC said.
He said that unfortunately in the subcontinent, the focus has been on mushrooming of educational institutions rather than on quality learning, reading and research.
“If we examine the New Educational Policy in a critical manner, then it is going to help the education to large extend. NEP has provided many opportunities to the students. There is a flexible approach. There is no cap in a sense that you will have to complete your course within the given time. Then there is no cap so far as your selection of the subject is concerned. You are liberty to select any subject,” the VC said.
He said that NEP is going to establish the linkage between the lower and higher education.