Symbiosis, Fergusson College likely to set up campuses in Jammu and Kashmir: Report

Maharashtra’s top seven educational institutions, including the sought-after Fergusson College and VIT in Pune, are soon going to set up their campuses in Kashmir, The Times of India has reported.

The administrations of these educational institutes have expressed their interest to Sarhad, a non-profit organization in Pune, which has been working for education and peace in J&K for the last 20 years.

The Centre had scrapped Article 370 provisions, which granted special status to J&K, asserting that the move will invite private investment in the Valley and boost the state’s economy.

Sarhad’s head Sanjay Nahar told the newspaper that his NGO had been making efforts to set up campuses of Maharashtra’s top educational institutes since 2004, when it had first sought land from the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s government.

“Though chief minister Mufti Sayeed was ready to give land to institutes like Fergusson and Symbiosis, it did not work out because the educational institutes were not willing at that time. We approached all highly reputed institutes again recently – Fergusson College, VIT Pune, DY Patil University, Garware College, SP College, Arham institute – to set up their branches in Kargil and Kashmir. Seven of them, including VIT and Arham, are now ready to set up their campuses in the Valley,” Nahar told the newspaper.

Confirming that the campus has consented to setting up their campus in Kashmir, VIT University Vice President Wasudeo Namdeo Gade told the publication, “Majority of the seats (on the Kashmir campus) will be reserved for Kashmiri students and the rest will be open to students from the rest of the country.”

Shailesh Pagaria, president of Arham Group of Institutes, also confirmed that he was very eager to set up a campus in Kashmir, and is likely to make it operational from the next academic year.  “Everything depends on the J&K administration and how soon they can facilitate the implementation of the blueprint,” he added.

Nahar also told the newspaper Symbiosis has set up a committee to discuss what they can do for Kashmir. “We have already spoken to Secretary (Higher Education) J&K and Maharashtra’s higher education minister Vinod Tawde,” he added.

The NGO is also pushing the institutes to keep the cost of education low.