Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chairs SKUAST Kashmir University Council meeting

SRINAGAR, June 24, 2026: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday chaired the 36th University Council Meeting of SKUAST-Kashmir at Lok Bhavan. The high-level meeting was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister for Agriculture Production Javid Ahmad Dar, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and various other top administration officials and academic heads.

The council approved several institutional reforms, including the upgradation of the Agricultural Research Information System into the Directorate of Information Technology, transforming the Internal Quality Assurance Cell into the Directorate of Quality Assurance, and establishing an International Students Cell to strengthen global outreach and student support.

As part of the future roadmap for SKUAST-Kashmir, three futuristic and self-sustainable flagship initiatives were proposed during the session. These include establishing a Centre for Agri Innovation, Analytics and Certification as a National Reference Laboratory, creating an Agri-Startup Park to host over 50 university startup enterprises, and setting up a Global Veterinary School designed as an internationally benchmarked centre for veterinary education, research, and advanced clinical services.

The Lieutenant Governor commended the university’s journey from local roots to global aspirations, praising its sustained growth in academics, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and international partnerships. He noted that these transformative steps have the potential to position it as a leading, innovation-driven, and globally engaged agricultural university.

Manoj Sinha also directed the Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir to ensure that university council meetings are convened regularly, at least twice a year, for timely reviews of academic and administrative matters. Presenting the university report, Vice Chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai highlighted the institution’s transformation from a regionally focused entity into a nationally recognized university with a clear vision of emerging as a globally competitive institution in agricultural and allied sciences.

Ganai informed the council that the university has made significant gains in national rankings, developed the largest startup ecosystem among higher educational institutions in Jammu Kashmir, and recorded 123 Intellectual Property Rights, including patents, trademarks, and designs. He added that nearly 30 percent of the university’s students now come from outside Jammu Kashmir, demonstrating its growing national outreach and academic reputation.