States » NorthPosted at: Nov 3 2026 12:44AM


Educational institutions must respond to changing needs of society, create opportunities: JU VC

Jammu, Nov 2 (UNI) The Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, Prof. Umesh Rai, has said that educational institutions must respond to the changing needs of society and create opportunities for those who, for various reasons, have remained outside the conventional higher education system.
Prof Rai was interacting with representatives of civil society, women's organisations, NGOs and other stakeholders to seek their suggestions on the introduction of academic, vocational, skill-based and value-added courses under the newly established Non-Collegiate Women Education Board (NCWEB) at the University's Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE) on Monday.
He said that the initiative was intended to provide women with flexible learning opportunities without requiring them to attend regular college classes. During the interaction, the role of NCWEB in providing educational opportunities to women was highlighted.
Prof Rai informed that courses would be conducted on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, enabling working women, homemakers and women from different backgrounds to pursue higher education and acquire new skills.
The interaction was aimed at identifying the educational and skill-development needs of women, particularly those who have been unable to pursue higher education due to personal, social, professional or economic circumstances.
Emphasising the importance of community participation, the Vice-Chancellor said that the University wanted to understand the actual educational needs of women before introducing the courses.
He invited suggestions from civil society organisations, women's groups and other stakeholders to ensure that the programmes were relevant, accessible and beneficial to women across the region.
Highlighting the major initiatives and achievements of the University, Prof. Rai said that significant progress had been made in resolving long-pending issues relating to land and infrastructure development, including the Ministry of Defence's approval for the exchange of over 147 kanals of land adjoining the University campus and the allotment of 10 kanals of land for the Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA).
He acknowledged the support of the Defence Minister, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the UT administration in taking these initiatives forward.
Referring to other important initiatives, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the establishment of the Centre for Regional Studies, Culture, Dialects and Emotional Intelligence, which would have its headquarters at the University of Jammu and a sub-office at Bemina, Kashmir.
Prof. Rai also highlighted the University's academic reforms, particularly the Design Your Degree programme, introduced in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which provides students with the flexibility to explore different disciplines before choosing their academic direction.
He further informed that the University had introduced Integrated Undergraduate-Postgraduate (UG-PG) programmes from the current academic session, with an intake of approximately 500 students, to promote multidisciplinary learning and provide greater flexibility in academic choices.
Prof. Rai said that these initiatives reflected the University's continued efforts to expand educational opportunities, strengthen research and academic infrastructure, preserve regional heritage and respond to the changing needs of students and society.
Prof. Rai reiterated that the University of Jammu remained committed to making education more accessible, relevant and responsive to the needs of society. He said that the proposed courses under the Non-Collegiate Women Education Board were another step in this direction and that suggestions received from civil society would help the University shape the initiative in a meaningful manner.
Inviting continued engagement from the community, he said that the University belonged to the people of the region and welcomed their participation, observations and constructive suggestions in its development.
Prof. Pankaj K. Srivastava, Director, Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), said that the establishment of the Non-Collegiate Women Education Board (NCWEB), under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Umesh Rai, was aimed at extending higher education opportunities to women unable to pursue regular studies due to personal, social or economic constraints.
Prof. J. P. Singh Joorel, Dean Academic Affairs, University of Jammu emphasized the potential of the Centre for Distance and Online Education to emerge as a Centre of Excellence in promoting accessible and inclusive education, particularly through initiatives aimed at women’s empowerment and capacity building. UNI VBH CDS
Tags: #Educational institutions must respond to changing needs of society# create opportunities: JU VC
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