The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday rejected a Bill to set up the region’s first technical private university in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The Sheikh-ul-Alam University Bill (Private University Bill No. 9 of 2025), moved by PDP legislature party leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed ur Rehman Parra, was dismissed after the ruling National Conference (NC) voted against the proposal.
Opposing the Bill, UT education minister Sakina Itoo informed the House that the government would not support the move at this stage, though she noted the possibility of keeping such proposals under future consideration. “Once the Bill passes, only then can it be determined where there is a genuine need for such universities. We oppose it,” she said.
Parra, however, described the rejection as an “unfortunate impediment to progress,” urging the government to view the project as the need of the hour given it required no state funding.
During the session, Parra highlighted the hardships faced by hundreds of Kashmiri students who travel to West Asia, Bangladesh, and various Indian states for higher education. He cited approximately 500 “hate cases” reported against Kashmiri students in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Punjab, arguing that a local private university would provide a safer alternative.
Highlighting that Jammu and Kashmir lacks a single private university, while 500 exist across India, Parra noted that the rejection forces capital flight as students spend vast sums outside the UT, money that could otherwise be reinvested in the local economy.
www.hindustantimes.com
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