Hostel facilities for 400 JK students at Delhi

In order to mitigate the difficulty of students from Jammu and Kashmir in finding appropriate accommodation in Delhi during studies, The Jammu and Kashmir Government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) to provide accommodation to 400 students from the State of Jammu and Kashmir at PG, Graduate and School level in JMI.

The MoU was signed by the Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Tanveer Jahan on behalf of the State Government and Registrar JMI, S. M. Sajjad and Union Joint Secretary (K), Ministry of Home Affairs, K. Skandan in presence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Union Minister for Home Affairs, P. Chidambaram, Union Education Secretary and Vice Chancellor JMI.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir will release a sum of ` 16.22 crore to JMI in instalments to finance the construction of Hostel building including appropriate furniture and fixtures in JMI Campus to enable it to provide accommodation to 400 students from the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The amount so released by Jammu and Kashmir will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Affairs (MHA).

A Committee of representatives of MHA, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and JMI will review the progress of the project and the recommendations of the Committee will guide the construction and its accomplishment.

The project will be completed within 24 months from the date of commencement of the construction.

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has flagged education sector as one of the important concerns in the State's policy planning and accessibility of higher education to the people in far-flung and remote areas is receiving considerable fillip. The Chief Minister is keen to see the students of the State attaining excellence in different fields of modern science and technology in various higher educational institutions in the State and outside. The need of such accommodation for the students of Jammu and Kashmir was being felt for long time now. The initiative in this direction taken by the Omar-led Government would fulfil this requirement to a greater extent.

J&K festival at New Delhi

Union Minister Farooq Abdullah  today took a dig at his son and Jammu and Kashmir Chief  Minister, Omar Abdullah, for speaking in English at a  function here saying that although he (Dr Abdullah) was   married to an English lady, he was not married to English  language.

Both father and son duo were speaking at the opening of a three-day cultural festival of Jammu and Kashmir here.

Omar Abdullah, who inaugurated the festival, spoke in English inviting people to visit his state. Dr Abdullah, who spoke after his son, addressed the gathering in Hindi.

"It was very nice to hear my son (Chief Minister Omar). But I must say that although I am married to an English lady, I am not married to English language," he said amid laughter. Farooq  Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, while praising Kashmiri language, said no language could match its finesse.

While inviting people to visit the state, Dr Abdullah said the situation had now changed and things were looking up.

The Governor N. N. Vohra and the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah jointly inaugurated the 3-day festival of Jammu and Kashmir at India International Centre, here this evening to show case State's rich cultural diversity.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor emphasized the need for preservation and effective showcasing of the rich cultural heritage of the Jammu and Kashmir for which it has been known since centauries. "We should focus on reviving and strengthening our glorious pluralistic cultural traditions and heritage and work towards making India a strong and a vibrant nation", he added.

Mr. Vohra said "our's is a multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural country and this unique aspect has been the greatest strength of our country".

Addressing the jam packed audience at IIC the Chief Minister said that this event has provided a very useful opportunity to the artists from various parts of the State for coming together and showcasing cultural heritage of various areas, adding that it would go a long way in further strengthening our cultural unity.

He said that the showcasing of this festival would on one hand showcase the State's rich cultural diversity and on the other promote tourism in the State. "Unfortunately the State is being viewed through the prism of security environment and its positivity in many form including culture, heritage, amity and secular fabric are not receiving the mush sought focus", he said, adding that the need of hour is to view the State from positive angles.

Omar said that violence in the state has reduced to a greater degree at present as compared to the last two decades. He said successful conduct of Panchayati elections and in-flow of a record number of tourist in the State shows that peace is rooting fast and the State is emerging on the tourism map once again.

The Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir State has a unique blend of multifaceted cultures making it a fine example of unity in diversity. He said that festival would provide an opportunity to the people to see and feel the multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi- ethnic facets of the state with three divergent socio-cultural and geographical regions namely Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Union Minster for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah also addressed the audience and invited the people from other parts of the State to visit Jammu and Kashmir and relish its scenic beauty, rich cultural heritage and communal harmony. He also complemented the State Government for successful conduct of Panchayat election in the State.

The festival is marked with the art and photo exhibition, screening of films by Information Department, seminars on cultural heritage and environment of the State, mushaira, folk dances, theatre performances traditional songs and dances, demonstration by artisans, Sufiana Kalams and Ladakhi mask dances.

As part of the festival, the Governor and the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Art Exhibition at the Art Gallery of the IIC. The art exhibition has been organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of the Art Culture and Languages.

President IIC, M.G.K. Menon presented welcome address on the occasion.

Among others First Lady Usha Vohra, Chairman, Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani, Member Parliament Dr. Mehboob Beig Commissioner/Secretary, Finance, Sudhanshu Pandey, Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism, Atal Dulloo, and other senior officers of the State were present on the occasion.