JAMMU, FEBRUARY 13, 2026 – During the ongoing Question Hour of the 2026 Budget Session, the Minister for Education, Sakeena Itoo, underscored the government’s strategic shift toward strengthening the existing academic landscape in Jammu and Kashmir. Responding to a query raised by Legislator Muzaffar Iqbal Khan in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister clarified that the primary objective of the department is currently the comprehensive upgradation of infrastructure and the fulfillment of faculty requirements across established Degree Colleges. Addressing the specific demand for a new institution in Manjakote, Itoo noted that while the location was included in a 2019 feasibility report and meets the minimum criteria set by the 2018 Committee of Administrative Secretaries, no further formal demands have been received recently.
Consequently, the government is channeling its resources into the 52 newly sanctioned Degree Colleges approved in 2019. The Minister emphasized that these institutions must be made fully functional by equipping them with modern laboratories, libraries, and permanent buildings, alongside the deployment of adequate teaching and non-teaching staff to ensure a high standard of higher education throughout the region.
