Srinagar, Aug 23 (JKNS): Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Sunday said Jammu & Kashmir has witnessed a major transformation in its security environment, development trajectory and youth aspirations over the past 12 years, asserting that the region is now entering a new phase of growth and opportunity.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP J&K’s two-day state-level meeting in Srinagar, as per news agency JKNS, Dr Singh said such organisational meetings are part of the BJP’s established tradition and that the Srinagar meeting was being held after a considerable gap.
He said that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, the atmosphere in Jammu & Kashmir has changed significantly, with peace and security being restored, conditions returning to normal and development work progressing at a rapid pace.
Dr Singh also highlighted what he described as a significant change in the mindset of the youth, saying the younger generation has become highly aspirational after witnessing the difficult period faced by Jammu & Kashmir over the past three decades.
He said the performance of Kashmiri youth in recent years in civil services examinations as well as admissions and selections in engineering and medical institutions demonstrated their growing aspirations and capabilities.
The Union Minister said the transformation in Kashmir reminded him of the changes witnessed earlier in the Northeast, adding that people who had experienced the difficult years were fortunate to witness the changing atmosphere in the region.
Reflecting on the past three decades, Dr Singh said Jammu & Kashmir had lost two generations during the difficult period and expressed hope that the region’s changing environment would allow its people to make a greater contribution to the country’s development.
He also emphasised the need to explore Jammu & Kashmir’s resources, saying the region’s rivers, agriculture and other sectors still have significant untapped potential.
Dr Singh highlighted lavender cultivation and the “Purple Revolution” as examples of emerging economic opportunities in the region. He also referred to the construction of new dams and other development initiatives.
He said Jammu & Kashmir would have an important role in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation and expressed hope that when India celebrates its centenary, the people of J&K would be able to proudly say they contributed to taking the country to new heights.
Chandrayaan-3, Space Sector
Referring to the third anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s landing on the Moon, Dr Singh said India’s achievement demonstrated the country’s human-resource and technological capabilities.
He noted that although several countries had begun their space programmes much earlier, India became the first country to reach the lunar south polar region.
Dr Singh said the achievement showed that India had no shortage of talent or human resources, but that enabling support and policy reforms were equally important in converting talent into achievements.
He said the space sector had now been opened to private participation and pointed to the rapid expansion of India’s space economy.
According to Dr Singh, the growing space economy and opening of new sectors for private participation were positioning India among the leading countries globally. (JKNS)
