SRINAGAR, MAY 28: Principal Secretary, School and Technical Education Department, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon today held a review meeting of Technical Education Sector in Jammu and Kashmir.The meeting was attended by Director Technical Education J&K, Joint Director Planning and other concerned officials while as Joint Director Jammu, Financial Advisor and others participated in the meeting through video conferencing.Speaking during the meeting, Principal Secretary announced that the Administrative Council (AC) has approved dispensing of admission process as per AICTE norms into Polytechnic Colleges from Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) to J&K Board of Technical Education (JKBOTE) and added that the AC also reduced the eligibility criteria for admission to diploma engineering courses to 35% from existing 40% in 10th/SSC as per AICTE guidelines.
Dr. Samoon further announced that the Department of Technical Education has been renamed as Department of Skill Development while as Directorate of Technical Education has been renamed as Directorate of Skill Development as per AC decision.He added that the AC also approved the transfer of Administrative control of Institute of Hotel Management, Srinagar, Food Crafts Institute, Jammu and Craft Development Institute, Srinagar to Department of Skill Development.Meanwhile, Samoon also took a review of all the centrally sponsored schemes like establishment of 18 new polytechnics in uncovered districts, up-gradation of infrastructural facilities in existing polytechnic colleges, construction of women hostels and Community Development through Polytechnics.The Principal Secretary directed the concerned officials to develop a proper strategy for development of technical education department, besides upgrading all the existing infrastructural facilities at the existing polytechnic colleges.Dr. Samoon further impressed upon the officers to revamp the training courses in all Industrial Training Institutes (ITI’s) and polytechnic colleges so that market based training courses can be introduced in those institutes which can generate employment for the youth.The Principal Secretary stressed upon the officials to complete all the Civil Works at designated Polytechnic Colleges within a fixed time frame so that courses which are being started in collaboration with Tata Technologies can be started at the earliest.It is pertinent to mention that Tata Technologies will start nine lab courses like Innovation, Design, and Incubation, Product Verification and Analysis, Product Lifecycle Management, Value Engineering and Bench Marking, Autonomous Connected Electrifies, Mechatronics and IoT, Digital Manufacturing, Manufacturing Execution System and Advance Manufacturing Engineering at several polytechnic colleges across Jammu and Kashmir.