KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
As the University of Kashmir is yet to decide over the shift of Computer Engineering department to its Zakura engineering campus, an Indian students’ body Sunday demanded immediate shifting of it.
“We wish to express our disappointment and concern at the way the government of Jammu and Kashmir is handling the issue of shifting of the engineering college from North campus to Zakura,” a statement issued by All India Students’ Association said this afternoon.
The students pursuing computer engineering from University of Kashmir North Campus are demanding shift of the branch to the recently inaugurated Zakura Engineering Campus.
Started in 2009, the computer engineering stream was scheduled to be shifted to the special engineering campus started by University of Kashmir in Zakura area of Srinagar.
“It is sad that the North Campus is being starved for facilities and the students are being made to suffer endlessly due to this political deadlock. We believe that the academic interests of students must be kept at the forefront of every decision,” said Shehla Rashid Shora, vice-president of All India Students’ Association.
“Ahead of the Academic Council meeting, we appeal to the Vice-Chancellor and members of the Academic Council to prioritise their role as academicians first and help to end this political deadlock,” Shehla said.
The recently elected Kashmir vice-president appealed stakeholders to “realize the harm that this deadlock is doing to the education and career of students of Computer Science department of North Campus”. “The other stakeholders need to realize that there is no point in having a defunct facility in Baramulla. It is sad that the fund-starved campus facility is being used to please vested political interests. It is a fraud being committed with the people of Baramulla.”
Shehla further said that the people of Baramulla are being made to think that “a favour is being bestowed upon them” in the name of a “defunct facility” in the name of the engineering college. “Facilities at the campus must be improved and, until that is done, the shifting of engineering college to Zakura campus cannot be indefinitely postponed. The students had been promised that the campus would be shifted and the promise must be fulfilled,” she added.
The Indian students’ body asserted, “genuine demands of the students must be fulfilled and academics should be the prime concern. It is a sad state of affairs where the students are being made to starve for facilities in their campus facility but are being held hostage to political interests. This deadlock must end and the suffering of students should be put to an end.”
