Waheed Para criticizes government, NC lawmakers over vote against private university proposal
Jammu, March 30, KNT: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Para on Monday said that the Jammu and Kashmir government rejected a Bill seeking to establish a private university in Pulwama during the ongoing Assembly session.
The development highlights ongoing political divisions over higher education policy in the Union Territory, where the absence of private universities continues to push students to seek education outside the region.
“It is with deep regret that I inform you that the J&K government has rejected our Bill on Sheikh-ul-Alam University in today’s Assembly session,” Para said.
He said he had moved the proposed Sheikh-ul-Alam University Bill for Pulwama (Bill No. 9 of 2025) in the Legislative Assembly with the aim of setting up the region’s first private university.
“The proposed Sheikh-ul-Alam University Bill for Pulwama was, however, turned down by the government,” Para said, adding that his appeals for consideration of the proposal were not accepted.
According to Para, the Education Minister and the government rejected the Bill, and National Conference (NC) legislators voted against it during the proceedings.
“In the decisive vote, NC MLAs opposed the Bill, halting what could have been a landmark step for higher education in Pulwama,” he said.
Para cited the lack of private universities in Jammu and Kashmir as a key concern, stating that while the Union Territory has none, the rest of India has more than 500 such institutions.
“Our students face immense challenges, including safety concerns and high costs of education,” he said.
Referring to student migration, Para said that over the past decade, around 500 cases of hate crimes against students from the region have been reported outside Jammu and Kashmir.
He added that many students spend more than Rs 1 lakh annually on education outside the Union Territory, and estimated that around 2 lakh students from J&K are currently studying in other parts of the country.
“We urgently need to build strong institutions here in J&K so that our students can access quality education locally, overcome crises, and pursue their ambitions without facing such challenges,” Para said.
Jammu and Kashmir’s higher education sector has long been dominated by government-run institutions, with repeated calls from various stakeholders for expansion and diversification, including private sector participation. KNT]
