The News Caravan

Tag: kashmir students

  • The College Crisis

    The College Crisis

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    With a huge network of colleges and a lot of enrolment, the students are dissatisfied with the pace and process of the education they get, reports Babra Wani

    Spending time under sunshine
    Girl students of a college in Srinagar enjoying the sunshine on the premises of the college. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

    With her eyes glued to her mobile, Saima (name changed) is watching a lecture on Scaler and Vector quantities. With the uncertainty of the presence of teachers in her school looming large, she has been preparing for her upcoming examination virtually.

    A student of Government Degree College, Kangan, Saima prefers not to attend the college where she is enrolled for BSc. She stopped going to her college because of the “lack of permanent staff for her subjects.” The deficit was managed by contractual lecturers, who leave the college when their contracts expire. “I mean if we talk about the present, we have no teachers there and our exams are about to begin in a month,” she said.

    The lack of permanent teachers and staff is not a one-college problem but a pan-higher education issue in Kashmir. It literally triggered a sort of a “scandal” when a college principal formally ordered teachers from unrelated subjects to “engage” students in absence of the relevant faculty.

    Karnah Story

    Just like Saima, Zahra (name changed) is concerned and worried about the lack of teachers. A fifth-semester BA student at Government Degree College Tanghdar, Zahra recalls how she was a happy girl when she passed her higher secondary examinations just to get admission to the college. The excitement, however, soon went down as she realised the harsh realities.

    “Living in a remote area was already challenging enough,” Zahra said. “We already knew that our college will not provide us with the facilities but we never knew that our issues will never be even heard.”

    For her, the lack of permanent staff is her biggest concern. “Due to staff issues, we suffer from a lot of academic loss as we are not able to cover the whole syllabus and hence rely completely on self-study to prepare for examinations,” Zahra said. “Ours is a remote area so if we students face any problems here, they are rarely addressed.”

    Located some 67 km north of Srinagar, beyond the Sadhna Pass, Tanghdar(Karnah) is located literally on the line of control (LOC). The area remains closed for most of the winter and there are cases when the authorities had to retain the dead in mortuaries till the road opened. The college, established in 2008 has more than 700 students on its rolls. This load is being managed by seven permanent teachers and three contractual teachers!

    The Tulail Story

    For 20 years old Adnan (name changed) walking for five kilometres to reach the college seems to be a daily routine. In 2019, when he and his friends heard about the establishment of a degree college, they were excited. They thought their hardships will now slow down. “We just have two permanent teachers here, one for history and one for English,” Adnan said.

    For more than sixty students enrolled with Government Degree College Tulail, there are only six teachers, with two permanent and four contractual. Located at a distance of 200 km from Srinagar, Tulailis part of Gurez, the new destination for naya Kashmir tourism. The college was established in 2019.

    Supposed to help residents not to migrate – as most of Gurez lives between Bandipore and Srinagar, the college could have hugely contributed. Students, however, insist this is not the case.

    “We have a history teacher, right?,” one student pointed out. “History as a subject is not taught here. I mean we have other subjects here but not history so technically we have no teachers to study from.”

    These teachers engage students in classes organised on a shift basis. Students insist they have bigger issues. “We do not even have our separate principal. The principal of our college watches over two different colleges (the other one is at Dawar), we neither have professors, principal nor facilities here,” Adnan who is currently studying in BA third semester said.

    Due to the lack of facilities, mostly a shortage of teachers, students prefer to stay home. This, they do after paying fees and costs for the degrees. Days ahead of the examination, the colleges start assessing attendance and enforcing shortages on them. “Tell me how does it make sense that students travel long distances for hours together, jeopardising their health to study here but there are no teachers? Not even a single official has ever visited us, we have been left to the mercy of the Lord,” a visibly upset Adnan complained.

    The lack of staff is not the only issue for the colleges in Gurez. “Last year, when we were writing our examinations, we knew we were appearing for three subjects,” Adnan said. “It was during the examinations that the college told us we have to appear in two more subjects – the subjects we never knew. We were desperate for what to write and a day before we had to write the examination, they sent the syllabus of that subject.”

    College in Srinagar scaled e1681137990850
    Students arrive at a college after a gap of nearly one year, following Covid19 safety guidelines issued by the government, in Srinagar, Monday, February 15, 2021. All the educational institutes including schools, colleges and universities in Jammu and Kashmir, which were closed in March last year in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

    The Kashmir Plains

    The staff crisis is not a high-altitude issue. Even the colleges within and around Srinagar are suffering.

    In Government Degree College, Sumbal, the students said the teachers for skill enhancement courses, which have been recently introduced, are not permanent. They are contractual and keep changing. “The continuous cycle of changing of these contractual teachers results in a month-long gap in the session,” one student said. “The month is wasted which is worrisome as it affects our studies.”

    The Sumbal College was established in 2010 and has an enrolment of more than 2500 students. In the neighbouring degree college at Hajin, students are crying for a physical education teacher.

    A Teacher Deficit

     Subsequent governments in Jammu and Kashmir have gone into the creation of a huge network of colleges. Some villages that had put up huge struggles to get their middle schools upgraded into high schools are now addresses for the new colleges. There were around 161 colleges for general education with an overall enrolment of 151478 students manned by 5745 teachers by the end of 2020-21. With the onset of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020), the government made huge plans about improving higher education. It included making five autonomous degree-granting colleges into Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities, a sort of deemed universities. In fact, the government said three are already operating as autonomous colleges. There was a focus on skill and innovation.

    Under NEP-2020, 30 colleges have been identified for the start of research and designated as Hub colleges. These are supposed to provide basic facilities of infrastructure and logistics to the rest of the colleges in their catchment.

    On the ground, however, nothing much is visible. “How can these colleges become research centres, when prestigious colleges like Amar Singh College are yet to grant the right to its first and second-semester students to get into the library,” one student, speaking anonymously asked. “Students have been desperately seeking library cards but we are told the access to the library is permitted to higher semester students.”

    The NAAC accreditation is the new mad race within colleges in which the assessment is mostly based on the infrastructure and the results – nobody is seeing, if at all, the students are taught in classrooms. Officials said 55 colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are NAAC accredited 17 more will be added to the list by December 2023. By 2025, 70 old colleges will be NAAC accredited.

    Right now, most colleges are battling the faculty issue. This triggered a controversy when the management of a state-run women’s college in Baramulla asked the faculty from unrelated subjects to engage “classes of the departments (currently) without staff”.Teachers from Education, Physical Education, and Sports were asked to engage in the classes of Political Science; Chemistry faculty was assigned Public Administration; Botany teachers were supposed to engage in Economics; the Zoology department was given Social Work and Mathematics was to manage the Philosophy students.

    This was the outcome of the higher education department not filling the vacancies on a temporary basis by the middle of March, almost a month after the colleges opened after the winter break. It created a sort of scandal and the college principal was asked to amend or withdraw the order.  As it did not happen, the authorities issued a show cause notice. Insiders said the college asserted that the faults are at the policymaking level and not the college level.

    A Generation Lost

    For the last nearly two decades, the higher education department has been hiring teachers on an academic arrangement basis against a consolidated sum. They are disengaged every season. They lack any rights to leave, provident fund and other facilities that permanent faculty enjoy. Over the years they have been the main players in the higher education department.

    “Every year, the government used to hire 800 to 1000 teachers on an academic arrangement basis,” Dr M Yousuf, one of the contractual lecturers said. “With the NEP, the requirement might have gone slightly up, maybe up to 1200.”

    For a very long time, there was a rule in Jammu and Kashmir government that if somebody worked for the government for seven years, he or she has a right to be permanently hired. They had gone to court with the plea and secured an order directing authorities to ensure the people are not disturbed. So, every year, the government would hire them on priority. Post-2019, the government stopped extending this courtesy to them and instead started hiring new faces. Some of the contractual impacts by this decision in Jammu went to the supreme court and secured an order. Yousuf said while the order was implemented in Jammu, it was breached in Kashmir. Now, they have gone to CAT and are expecting a positive decision.

    “This crisis ended up almost destroying their career of nearly 500 contractual teachers –mostly PhDs’, who served the department for 15 t 20 years and then the government stopped hiring them and they crossed the age bar,” Yousuf, one of these candidates, said. “Now we are no-bodies, we gave our entire life to these institutions and now we have nothing to do.”

    Yousuf said the delay in hiring teachers on an academic arrangement basis is the main issue that is hitting the colleges right now. “There is a set norm for how many students a teacher must have but I know cases, where one teacher is assigned 600 students.”

    Transportation Facilities

    Teaching is just one part of the crisis. Students allege, there are other issues as well. Transportation is a key factor. Though almost every college has a transport facility, quite a few busses move out of the college.

    “Some students in my college walk a distance of around 26 km to reach the college,” Adnan said. “Why we do not have the transport facility as other colleges have.”

    In Government Degree College Kangan, the students have a similar complaint. “We have no transportation facility here, I mean that is basic,” one student said.

    Various colleges have buses but lack the funds to hire a driver. In certain cases, they have drivers but not enough money to fuel the bus.

    In the newly established Government Degree College Hajin, students allege the ground is in puddles, “Whenever it rains, the ground accumulates water and it becomes difficult to even walk through it let alone be any other thing,” Ahmad (name changed) who is currently enrolled in arts stream in the college said, “We don’t even have proper classrooms. In the main building only a few classes are taught, the rest of the classes are conducted in a hut which has a couple of rooms.” Besides, he said there is still an old building, which used to be a middle school in the past, on the ground there.

    “Even if available, the washrooms are not located in proper settings,” he said.

    Government Degree College Hajin is one of the 52 new colleges which were established in the year 2019.

    City Colleges

    Zubair (name changed) and his friends made a decision to get admitted to Amar Singh College, a prominent city college. As soon as he joined the first semester his perspective changed. A student in the second semester at present, Zubair had a list of issues to share, “You know there is no punctuality, I mean the classes are never conducted on time. The teachers are always late and never on time.”

    Amar Singh College Srinagar e1681138612635
    Amar Singh College, Srinagar

    The college, Zubair added, lacks hygiene, has dirty desks in classrooms, unclean washrooms and abundant stray dogs. This is in addition to the staff shortage. “We have been waiting since March for the teacher, as the contract of our previous teacher expired,” he said. The lack of mics in the classrooms is yet another concern for the students. “The classrooms are huge and the teachers are not audible to everybody in the class.”

    The students said they have no access t the library. It has been done so easily. The college has not issued identity cards which are basic to entry into the library.

    “This college has no proper gatekeeping and outsiders who are not even enrolled in our college get in and fight with the students of our college,” one female student said. “There is nobody who can check the people getting in.” Students confirmed the drug-peddling boys moving around.

    Students of Women’s’ College Nawa Kadal alleged that the government is frequently shifting their principals. This, they said, is impacted the college.

    In Women’s College MA Road, the students complained how the focus has been more on extra-curricular activities and not on education, “The classwork always suffers the most.”

    Officials Admit

    College managers and insiders admitted to the lot of issues they are facing. However, they insist they are not supposed to talk the way they used to talk earlier. Some of them agreed to talk in utmost anonymity.

    “Yes, there is no college bus for students and the majority of the faculty positions are vacant except English and History,” echoing the thoughts of the students an official posted in Government Degree College, Tulail said. The official added that they have tried bringing it to the notice of authorities from time to time, “We had taken up the matter with our ex-principal secretary and he told that they were ready to sanction the college bus but it was not possible to engage any driver as there is a blanket ban on contractual or local fund recruitment.” He also lamented over the trend of teachers from Gurez and Tulail ensuring they are transferred to other places outside Gurez. “What can we expect from the teachers who are hired on a contractual basis.”

    Most of the college managers approached to offer their side of the story but refused to talk. “Maybe next time,” one college principal said.

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • NEP Prevents Class-I Admission For Students Slightly Less Than Six Years of Age

    NEP Prevents Class-I Admission For Students Slightly Less Than Six Years of Age

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    SRINAGAR: A group of Jammu parents with school-aged children held a protest against the recently implemented National Education Policy. The demonstration, organized by the All Jammu Parents Association, was led by Amit Kapoor and took place at Hari Singh Park, reports reaching from Jammu said.

    The stunets at the prayers get a lesson in morals and cleanliness. KL Image Shakir Ashraf
    The students at the prayers in the state-run Government Middle School, Naibug, Tral, get a lesson in morals and cleanliness. The teachers of the school contributed from their salaries to fund the school’s infrastructure deficit. KL Image Shakir Ashraf

    The parents were protesting against the new policy’s age limit requirement for admission into the first class. They argued that children who are currently in Upper KG or UKG, and whose ages fall just short of six years, are being denied entry into first grade.

    During the protest, the parents chanted slogans against the policy and demanded that the minimum age limit for class I admission be relaxed. Amit Kapoor suggested that the age criteria should be implemented from nursery or pre-nursery and that children who are already studying should be admitted to first grade. Kapoor also urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene and grant age relaxation, citing the Goa government’s decision to delay the implementation of the new policy until 2025-26.

    The parents emphasized that the current policy had caused distress to many children and parents alike, and appealed for the sake of their children’s future.

    Jammu and Kashmir implemented the National Education Policy that was rolled out in India in July 2020, and aims to revamp the country’s education system. One of the policy’s objectives is to ensure that every child receives high-quality education from an early age. To achieve this, the policy sets forth certain age limits for admission into various classes.

    As per the current policy, children must be at least six years old to be admitted into class I. This criterion is based on research that suggests that children of this age are developmentally ready to transition from pre-primary education to formal schooling.

    However, some parents have argued that this age limit is too rigid, and that it fails to take into account the individual developmental needs of each child. They contend that children who are slightly younger than six years old but have already completed UKG are just as capable of succeeding in class I as their peers who meet the age requirement.

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • No Teachers, No Classwork: A Crisis in A Peripheral College Explained

    No Teachers, No Classwork: A Crisis in A Peripheral College Explained

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    by Tawseef Bashir Mir

    SRINAGAR: Students of Government Women’s Degree College, Sopore are facing an acute shortage of teachers, a crisis which has brought their academic progress to a standstill.

    GDCW Sopore KL Image
    Government Degree College for Women Sopore

    Out of the required 33 positions that the college requires, only 11 permanent faculty members are present. The college has not renewed contracts for or hired new contractual lecturers to make up for the staffing needs.

    The College’s Arts faculty has less than one-fourth of the required teaching staff.

    Despite several years of pleas from students and college administration alike, the issue is long impending.

    The students had also staged a protest in the college premises on Monday last complaining about understaffing, mostly in the arts faculty of the college. The students took to social media to state their concerns regarding their studies having to suffer due to a lack of faculty.

    “The matter has been taken up with the Director of Colleges and the Principal Secretary as well,” Principal GWDC, Sopore, Bashir Ahmad Parray said, confirming the lack of adequate staff. They have verbally assured swift action in the matter. We are awaiting further progress.”

    However, the students from the college alleged oversight of their concerns from the administration. “We have not studied even a single word since February 15 due to a lack of staff. Our careers are getting ruined,” a student from BA History, second semester said. “Certain departments are being handled by single personnel. The arts faculty is the one which is suffering the most due to this shortage of teachers.”

    “The college has only one English teacher who teaches both the faculties (Arts and Science) throughout all semesters. There is no teacher for history, economics, political science, and such major subjects. We used to have contractual lecturers but the administration hasn’t even hired them for the current session,” the student added.

    “We talked to our Principal but he said there wasn’t much he could do about the matter as it is out of his hands to hire the staff. He is trying though,” another student, enrolled in BSc second semester, said. “We wanted to use social media to voice our concerns but nothing came out of it as well.”

    Director of Colleges, Yasmeen Ashai also admitted the problem. “An advertisement has been issued regarding the hiring of contractual staff. We have sent a number of contractual teachers to the said college to teach minor subjects and the application evaluation process for the posts of major subjects is underway,” Ms Ashai said. “Due to the applications being in bulk, the hiring process is taking time but the process is already underway.”

    However, students insist that no teaching faculty has been hired for the current session. “As per our knowledge, the last permanent teacher hired was way back in 2016. Contractual staff is a come-and-go trend but even they haven’t been hired for the current session,” a group of students said.

    Besides, the students also voiced their concerns regarding transport and college infrastructural issues. “Our College is situated at an off-road location. We have to travel from far-flung areas and then walk long distances from the bus stand to reach the college,” one student said. “The two buses provided by the government aren’t functional. There are no drivers.”

    The college buildings and other infrastructure are in a near-dilapidated state, the students alleged. “We have repeatedly taken up this matter with the principal but to no regard. Maybe the issue lies in this being a college for women,” one student commented.

    DC Baramulla Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar had taken note of the matter regarding the college being understaffed and in a notice, directed the Principal Government Women’s Degree College Sopore to resolve the matter immediately. She had also ordered the principal to communicate the progress to her office. It was not immediately known if the college management has responded to the order or sought her help in addressing the issues.

    Established in 2005, the college operated from the premises of Government Boys Degree College, Sopore till 2010, when it got its own building. Currently, it has around 1100 students on its rolls.

    (Tawseef Bashir Mir is an intern.)

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • How ChatBots Have Posed A New Challenge to Learning, Jobs?

    How ChatBots Have Posed A New Challenge to Learning, Jobs?

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    by Mujtaba Hussain

    SRINAGAR: Alarm bells have started ringing in the academic campuses world over as artificial intelligence can do more than what students are required to do in classrooms, at home and while writing their examinations. Though the technology is still in its infancy stage, the value addition could threaten the jobs of millions of people across diverse sectors.

    hacking and data theft

    ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chat platform can write essays, legal briefs, scripts, emails, poetry, jokes, computer programmes, business proposals, complex code, debug your code, clear exams, do worksheets, write healthy recipes, and can write all types of comprehensive and error-free content among other complex things.

    Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) can get you all the things you could ask for in a simple chat. It is the AI platform integrated with the messaging platform. The open access to the app can lure students to do their homework and assignments through the IA platforms, which poses a great challenge to the ethics surrounding this advanced technology.

    The text-based AI Chatbot is the creation of the San-Francisco based Start-up called ‘Open-AI’. The ChatGPT interface allows users to converse with the AI model in English and many other languages. It is almost like talking with a human. It gives answers within seconds one on one just by prompting a question/query/phrase.

    What Is ChatGPT And Why Is Everybody Talking About It?

    The implications of ChatGPT are stark for educators, academicians, editors, researchers, scriptwriters, screenwriters, and content writers among others. They are worrisome and in severe despondency because of the fear of being jobless due to this advanced AI tool.

    This text-generation tool poses a great threat to the education sector as the educationists fear that students will never need to learn to write, as they can merely lean on ChatGPT.

    According to the Brookings Institute, “ChatGPT is the latest challenge to the creative human intellect. It is a conversational bot responsive to users’ questions in ways that allows it to search large databases in a fraction of a second.”

    Schools and colleges all over the world have been banning this software because of its heavy usage in writing homework and assignments. New York City’s Department of Education imposed a ban on ChatGPT immediately after its passing of complex exams surfaced on social networking sites. It achieved almost fifty per cent in one of the difficult medical exams called the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). In another separate case, ChatGPT gained more than average in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton MBA exam. It also cleared the US law exam with an ample score to qualify.

    Indian educators, technologists, and entrepreneurs are also in the doldrums because of the rising implications of the ChatGPT. Could it replace the role of a teacher? Could the intelligent Chat bot add to rising dropout rates in schools and colleges, are among the intriguing questions they are looking for? Rashtreeya Vidyalaya (RV) University in the technology capital of India, Bengaluru is the first Indian University that banned ChatGPT on its campus. French, German, and Australian universities are also planning to put a blanket ban on the usage of ChatGPT inside the campus.

    Although there is a significant discussion about the potential misuse of ChatGPT, the prevalent among them is its use by students to write essays, assignments, and other assigned homework.

    Many educationists propose that AI should be seen as an opportunity rather than a hindrance in education. George Siemen, an international expert on AI suggests, “Educators should focus on how AI can be used to improve education. Chatbots like ChatGPT are innovations that are here to stay, so rather than banning them, it is far more beneficial for educators to explore and experiment with such tools to get a better sense of what can be done with them to generate better ideas.”

    The panic about the technological threat to education is not new, but every advancement in technology proved to be a blessing in disguise and improved the ways of learning new things. Advancements in learning technology from slate, chalk, and paper, to digital pages and three-dimensional simulation videos all were previously called the death of learning, which proved otherwise. Therefore, panicking and saying ‘you cannot touch the technology’ is not a way out. It is how we get used to it that will be valuable to students and teachers, reported The Age.

    Even though Open AI also released anti-cheating software called ‘AI-text Classifier’ that could identify the AI-produced text by studying the hiding cryptographic signals, called watermarks, its effectiveness is still doubtful because it does not cite the source of information and thus there is no linkage formation between the reader and the writer.

    ChatGPT has amassed five million users within five days of its release. It gained a hundred million monthly active users only two months into its launch and became the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Thus, it is a revolution that we cannot ignore or run away from.

    There is no doubt that Chatbots like ChatGPT will increase the domain and scope of knowledge but the question remains whether students will continue to learn the basic skills and whether this technology will really become the next big thing.

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • ‘Rice Can Now Be Grown Without Stagnant Water In A Field’

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    A teacher, researcher and innovator, Dr Jameel A Khan’s expertise in developing drought-tolerant varieties has helped address climate change challenges. Currently serving as Programme Manager at C-CAMP, one of the respected addresses for cutting-edge research and innovation, the young scientist reveals his learning curve and the contributions he made to the agricultural science

    TheNewsCaravan (KL): What are the new goals in agricultural sciences for increasing production?

    DR JAMEEL A KHAN (JAK): During the green revolution of the 1960s, there was a growing demand for increased food production due to a rapidly growing population. MS Swaminathan employed genetics knowledge to meet this demand and address the issue of food scarcity. One of the strategies employed was to cultivate short-stature crop varieties instead of tall ones, as the tall ones had a tendency to fall over, causing crop loss. This strategy successfully addressed the issue of lodging and increased food production. As the population continues to grow, biotechnology will become a key area of intervention in agriculture, aimed at meeting the demands of the next green revolution.

    KL: So what is the status right now?

    JAK: While current agricultural yields are stable, there are still major challenges such as droughts, pests and diseases, and post-harvest losses. Improving storage technologies and addressing these issues will help meet the food needs of both current and future populations. Approximately 40-50 per cent of food production is lost due to factors such as drought, heat, salinity, and floods. To address these issues, biotechnology has a significant role to play in finding solutions for these challenges and reducing post-harvest losses.

    KL: Before we go into your accomplishments and research can you offer us details about your learning curves and challenges faced during your career journey?

    JAK: I started my educational journey at New Convent, Gogji Bagh, Srinagar where my teachers instilled in me the importance of thinking big and pursuing my dreams. After completing the 10th standard, I decided to study BSc in Agriculture at SKUAST, Jammu. I then went on to secure a seat for a Master’s in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore by qualifying for the national level exam JNU-DBT. Initially, I had intended to follow in my brother’s (Er. Muneer Khan) footsteps and pursue a career in engineering, as he had studied at SSM. However, I decided to forge my own path when I went to a counselling session and ended up being selected for BSc Agriculture, my parents were astonished but happy.

    Eventually, I did a PhD in the same field. I was the sole individual from Kashmir to secure a PhD in UAS-Bangalore at that time.

    I was determined to do something innovative in my research and this led to the start of my journey in innovation. Throughout my academic journey, I faced challenges but my determination and hard work helped me secure my place in the field of Plant Biotechnology.

    KL: What were the key takeaways from your PhD?

    JAK: Research can be as brief as a one-page publication, as evidenced by Watson and Crick’s research on the structure and model of DNA, which won a Noble Prize. This just goes to show that the length of scientific research can range from being short to extensive, like discussions on black holes. The human genome, which can be measured in megabytes and terabytes, contains vast amounts of information that we are now able to comprehend. Similarly, research on genes related to human traits such as appearance (eye colour and height) and behaviour (intelligence, addiction, and even depression) etc., are influenced by gene expression. Researchers are understanding which genes are responsible for these traits. For example, if I wanted to select intelligence, I would look for someone with genes that express high intelligence.

    In the realm of plant research, we divide the phenotype into visual and performance aspects, as we observe how plants perform under biotic and abiotic stress, such as water scarcity in agriculture, particularly in rice cultivation. It takes about 2500 litres of water to produce one kilogram of rice, from growth to consumption. By reducing water consumption in rice cultivation by just 10-20 per cent, we could make a significant impact on humanity. Rice can now be grown without stagnant water in a field, thanks to the research I have been a part of.

    During my PhD, I worked on exploring the phenotypic and genotypic factors affecting plant growth and productivity, specifically focusing on rice cultivation. I developed a technology for root phenotyping and utilized German technology at the ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management. This was a major milestone as it was the first platform of its kind developed in India and I made it available to other scientists by not patenting it. My aim was to make advanced technology accessible to farmers at an affordable cost.

    My research also involved studying the genes that express high levels of root growth and analysing the correlation between gene expression and phenotype. By combining both phenotypic and genotypic information, I was able to gain a better understanding of the factors affecting plant growth and productivity.

    I also looked at the impact of abiotic stress, such as water scarcity, on agriculture and specifically rice cultivation. I found that a significant amount of water is required for rice growth and that reducing water consumption by just 20-25 per cent can lead to a big step towards sustainable agriculture. Our laboratory developed a rice variety called aerobic rice that utilizes deep roots to absorb water from deep soil, thereby saving 20-25 per cent of water compared to traditional rice varieties.

    Overall, my PhD research aimed to improve our understanding of the factors affecting plant growth and productivity and to develop practical solutions to reduce water usage in agriculture.

    KL: Is this rice variety being grown anywhere?

    JAK: At present, the government of Katakana has already approved the growing of this rice cultivation. Our technology is ready for any future water scarcity and is proven to be effective. We have taken a thorough approach to this technology, even down to the genetic level, to ensure that farmers can access the aerobic rice variety ARB6 (BI 33) whenever they may need it in the future.

    KL: Does aerobic rice BI 33 require specific ecology for growing?

    JAK: ICAR has a policy of multi-location trials, which must be completed before any new variety of rice can be approved. Recently, Tamil Nadu scientists conducted research on drought-resistant varieties, with BI 33 outperforming all other varieties in the trials. This variety has now been approved, after having passed all tests.

    KL: How does it work on a yield?

    JAK: Despite a 5% drop in yield, the comparison between aerobic rice and rice grown in water is not applicable here. We are instead comparing how rice will be grown using technology in the future when water scarcity becomes more severe.

    KL: Will this technology ever suit growing rice in Kashmir?

    JAK: Kashmiri people rely heavily on rice as their main source of food, and the agricultural sector is always looking ahead to anticipate potential needs and address potential issues. In the case of a water scarcity crisis in Kashmir, science and technology are prepared to mitigate any potential losses in yield. Scientists are always looking forward, anticipating the needs of the future, and this is what drives the research and development of new technologies–even if it may seem out of reach at the present moment. For instance, Elon Musk’s ambitious plans to take humans to Mars or the Moon demonstrate the potential for future technology to make the seemingly impossible a reality. In this way, my own work falls in line with this outlook, searching for solutions that may open up new possibilities.

    Dr Jameel A Khan Agriculture 2
    Dr Jameel A Khan (Agriculture)

    KL: With immense success in your field of research, why you changed your career path?

    JAK: I have always been passionate about technology and its potential to innovate and create a bigger, brighter future. With a background in agriculture, I wanted to be part of the Agrotechnology revolution that is currently taking place in India. My experience has enabled me to understand how technology can be used in the most effective ways, and I am eager to use my knowledge to contribute to the industry.

    Also, the recent initiatives in Agritech and the focus on agriculture accelerators in the budget proposed by the Government of India indicate that research must be effectively adapted and implemented for real-world applications. This emphasis on agriculture accelerators in the budget is a clear sign that the government is actively pursuing work that can have tangible impacts on the agricultural sector, which could have a significant ripple effect throughout the country. We at C-CAMP have been forefront runners in such research and innovations.

    KL: What are the present projects you are working on?

    JAK: At the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in Bangalore, we are part of the Bangalore Life Science Cluster (BLiSC) and have three major institutions and top bio incubators. C-CAMP has been awarded the best incubator of India across all sectors, owing to our expertise in life sciences, be it biotechnology, agro technology, health technology, or any other industrial biotechnology. We also received an award during National Startup Day as the best Ecosystem Enabler in India. We feel proud to contribute to bioeconomy in India. We provide the handholding for the latest technologies that a startup or an individual innovator is working on.

    I handle multiple programs, the basic objective is to assess the proposal, considering its scientific acumen, financial theme, and future innovation in technology. We provide a grant of Rs 50 lakhs for eighteen months to help develop a product and mentor the startup with proper guidance for early-stage innovators.

    I work on a programme where we train innovators to find a relevant problem and make a venture out of it. In this programme along with a monthly fellowship of Rs 50,000, a kick-start grant is given. Young innovators in Kashmir should consider applying for this programme.

    At C-CAMP, I also work with the Centre of Excellence in Agriculture with the objective to identify gaps in agriculture. We were successful in handholding startups that are making a national impact, for example, Krishitantra.

    KL: What are the innovations taking place in agriculture? Is there any contribution from Jammu and Kashmir in Agrotechnology?

    JAK: Agriculture is undergoing a transformation due to the introduction of innovative technologies. Indoor vertical farming is one of the most popular advancements, as it increases crop yields and reduces the negative impact on the environment. Farm automation technology is also becoming increasingly popular, as it automates the crop or livestock production cycle. In addition, livestock technology is being used to monitor health and increase productivity through wearable sensors. Other innovations that are expected to hit the market include agricultural robotics, artificial intelligence in agriculture, and the use of drones. All of these technologies are helping to make agricultural processes more efficient and effective.

    The Vice Chancellor of SKAUST-K has been a great mentor to me and has taken a number of new and innovative initiatives at the university. In Kashmir, it can be difficult to get acceptance for new ideas and advancements, but many universities like SKUAST have taken steps to bring about change. I also met the VC of Kashmir University and the DIQA Director, I could see the enthusiasm to work on innovations.

    There are many innovators who have applied for these projects, and I have taken on the role of mentor, as I feel that it gives me a chance to give back to the community. We also have the JK Scientist programme, which helps students to get accepted for doctorates and PhDs.

    I take this platform for productive collaboration with C-CAMP for making impactful innovations in life sciences.

    Ifra Reshi processed the interview

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • Twin Earthquakes Kill 2600 People In Turkey, Syria

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    SRINAGAR: More than 2600 people were reported dead in a devastating earthquake that flattened most of Turkey’s Gaziantep area bordering Syria. The devastation is visible across Turkey’s 10 provinces and a vast belt in war-torn Syria.

    Tensions in Kashmir families whose wards are studying in Turkey has mounted even though the Government of India is making efforts to reach the Indian students if any, in the disaster-hit areas. India said it was sending medical squads, search and rescue teams and relief material to assist Turkey’s response. Officials in India said they prepared 100 rescue workers with specially trained dogs to send to Turkey in the wake of the earthquake.

    The destruction was the outcome of two massive earthquakes – the first one having a magnitude of 7.8, and hours later another one with 7.5 magnitudes. The winter is supposed to impact rescue operations as the toll is likely to go up many times more. It was raining when a major tremor hit the area.

    The wee-hour earthquake led to the pancake collapse of a vast number of housing blocks, trapping people under the rubble. The rescue was on when the second one hit the same belt thus adding to the crisis. Some of the buildings that survived the first or both major jolts later collapsed like pack of cards. Some of these destructions were captured by people on their cell phones.

    Turkey and parts of Syria fall in a high seismic zone. Given the magnitude of the earthquake, it is been seen as the second only to December 1939 earthquake that killed 39000 people.

    “I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I have lived,” BBC quoted Gaziantep resident Erdem saying. “We were shaken at least three times very strongly, like a baby in a crib.”

    In certain areas the earthquake damaged the gas pipeline triggering fires. Turkey’s state-owned crude oil and natural gas corporation, BOTAS, the flow of natural gas to Gaziantep, Hatay and Kahramanmaras provinces, as well as nine nearby counties, was stopped as a result of damage to the Kahramanmaras-Gaziantep transmission line.

    “I barely got myself and my family out of the building. We were just coming out of the wreckage when we saw a person reach out through a small gap,” Veysel Şervan told BBC. “The building collapsed on our friend who tried to save them. They have no chance of escape, it collapsed on them completely. We are in a very difficult situation.”

    The earthquake reduced Gaziantep castle and the Shirvan Mosque to rubble.  The castle was over 2000 years old and belonged to the Roman period. Built by the Romans during the second and third centuries, the castle was strengthened and expanded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. Later the Ayyubids in the twelfth and thirteen centuries improved it. It was a museum.

    Turkish official news gatherer, Anadolu Agency reported the earthquake — felt as far away as Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt — occurred in Kahramanmaras province, north of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border. It devastated the southern Turkey and northern and central Syria. Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Adana, Adiyaman, Malatya, Osmaniye, Hatay, and Kilis provinces are heavily affected by the quake.

    Given the fact that the winters and the collapse of public communication systems have been seriously impacted, the survivors have uploaded hundreds of photographs and visuals explaining the devastation. A number of global media houses have used these motion photographs to detail the tragedy for larger audiences.

    Latest reports suggest that a tsunami has hit the Turkish shores and it is adding to the costs.



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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • ALLEN Career Institute Conducted ‘Topper Talk’ for NEET 2023 aspirants

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    SRINAGAR: ALLEN Career Institute Srinagar conducted “Toppers’ Talk Show,” by NEET 2022 ALLEN Srinagar Topper Nauman Javed Bhat, who secured J&K Rank-6, AIR-920, Scored 679/720 and got Selection in Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar.

    Allen Session e1675696360967
    Faculty and toppers at an Allen Srinagar event on February 6, 2023

    The event was conducted to boost morale and motivate students who are going to appear in NEET 2023. The main motive of the event was to minimize the emotional breakdown of students which usually occurs during the final days of NEET exam preparation.

    In this event, Nauman Javed Bhat shared his two years journey at ALLEN Career Institute, Srinagar. Besides, he shared how attending regular exams and doing their analysis sitting with faculty members helped him to increase his marks and confidence day by day on the final days of his preparation.

    Parents and students present in the event asked many questions Nauman and his parents to which he answered as per his own experience and thus motivated all present students present in the event. Answering one of the queries from a parent sitting in the audience to which the mother of Nauman mentioned that ALLEN Career Institute Faculty members helped a lot to increase his score in the NEET exam and advised students to remain under the strict guidance and mentorship of the Faculty members

    The event even included a motivational Session for NEET 2023 aspirants by Dr Nikhil Mehta Sir (Medical-Academic Head of ALLEN Mumbai, City Head of ALLEN Latur, Maharashtra, and Academic Head of ALLEN Srinagar). In his session, he motivated students how to concentrate on all three subjects Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, as all the3 Subjects are important if a student wants to Top/Score NEET Examination.

    The event also included the two Years Completion Celebration of the ALLEN Career Institute Nowgam Campus.

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    #ALLEN #Career #Institute #Conducted #Topper #Talk #NEET #aspirants

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • ASER Report Presents Grim Picture Of JK’s Education Setup

    ASER Report Presents Grim Picture Of JK’s Education Setup

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    by Umaima Reshi

    SRINAGAR: The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 has presented a grim picture of the education system in Jammu and Kashmir ranging from a dip in enrolment numbers to poor infrastructure and lack of proper sanitation facilities.

    As per the ASER report, the enrolment numbers of children in the 6-14 age group has gone down from 58.3 per cent in 2018 to 55.5 per cent in 2022.  This dip comes against the backdrop of the school education department claiming that they have been running campaigns across Jammu and Kashmir to increase enrolment. Also, at the national level, there has been an increase in the enlistment of students.

    As per the report, 4.8 per cent of children in the 15-16 age group are not enrolled in schools in Jammu and Kashmir.

    At the pre-primary level, the report states that in 2022, around 63.6 per cent of infants were registered at Anganwadi Centres. However, the enrolment improved from 31.8 per cent in 2018 to 39.4 per cent in 2022.

    The report also highlighted the gender gap in grown-up children in terms of their enrolment in schools. As per the data, girls in the age group of 15-16 years usually drop out of school more than boys.

    The report states that the percentage of students undertaking private tuition from up to middle school level has seen a rise from 8.8 per cent in 2018 to 13.8 per cent in 2022.

    The ASER survey reveals a gap in learning outcomes among students of government and privately run schools.

    “In UT, the private school children were making progress before 2022 and are still progressing. The Government school children were facing obstacles pre-pandemic but are on the move to progression,” the ASER reads.

    The report states that the arithmetic level of students in government schools has seen progress over the years. Despite this, only one in four children of 8th standards in government schools can do division, compared to one in two in private schools.

    The ASER report also points out that the unavailability of computers for children in schools has come down from 82.8 per cent in 2018 to 71.6 per cent in 2022.

    The report revealed an increase in electricity connections in schools which rose from 31.2 per cent to 88.9 per cent in 2022.

    The report underlined that the education department needs prompt help in achieving foundational skills in literacy and numeracy besides exerting pressure on grades.

    “While many children have not been enrolled, the ones who have dropped, especially girls, need to be brought back,” ASER stated.

    The report divulged that 30 per cent of schools in Jammu and Kashmir lack water facilities. In the matter of drinking water, the availability has increased by 15 per cent from 69.3 per cent in 2018.

    Furthermore, the annual survey report revealed that around half of schools in Jammu and Kashmir have a paucity of girls’ toilets. It stated that 72.8 per cent of schools have toilets, which are being used by both girls and boys, which signifies that approximately 47 per cent of the girls have a shortage of toilets. However, it has also been seen that there is a 5 per cent increase in the facility since 2018.

    The survey was conducted across 20 districts with around 10,924 households and 21,666 children in the age group of 4 to 16 years contacted. The ASER is an annual survey that delivers reliable estimation of children’s schooling status and household research all over India.

    “We are trying to fill the learning gaps, and as of now, we are moving towards prosperity. With the adoption of the New Education Policy, this year has been regarded as a year of academic excellence and transformation,” Director School Education Kashmir Tassaduq Hussain said in response to the revelations made by ASER. “The National Achievement Survey has revealed that we have jumped from the 18th position to the 8th position, which is quite an accomplishment.”

    He added: “This is a continuous process and we are trying and planning to improve the curriculum and infrastructural issues.”

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • Why Muskan Sawhny’s JKAS Is Not an Ordinary Feat?

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    by Maleeha Sofi

    SRINAGAR: Beating all the odds, Muskan Sawhny cracked Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) examination in her first attempt. The daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver, Sawhny Jr managed to crack the examination without any coaching and with the help of the internet. She secured 1016.50 marks.

    Muskan is from Jammu proper and has completed her initial studies at Activity Public Higher Secondary School. She pursued her higher education in Science at Government Higher Secondary, Mubarak Mandi. She graduated in non-medical with Geology and Geography as optional subjects. She has been the district topper in National Youth Parliament- 2019. She gives tuition and works as a presenter at All India Radio to generate extra income for her and her family.

    “I have not prepared for a long time. I started preparation after my graduation,” Muskan said. She focused more on learning from people. “When JKPSC advertised these posts in 2021, I knew I had to do it, but I had not started preparations yet.”

    With self-study, she appeared for the examination with the belief that the civil services exams do not need you to know everything, but to understand the basics. Given the first attempt, she was not sure about the success.

    “I studied religiously during exams as I had very less time,” she said. She did the smart study and hard work.

    The major factor that helped her to stay focused was the financial conditions of her family. This was the key factor that prevented her from getting into any coaching centre. She said she chose to study with the help of a few books and the internet only. “I had no proper guidance about books, so I selected a few compact ones and the internet helped me a lot,” she asserted.

    Muskan
    Muskan Sawhny JKAS

    Muskan said she studied usually during the night hours to stay focused without distractions. Being a debater, she is well aware of the current affairs that helped her achieve this feat. One of the major tricks that have helped her to qualify for the exam is ‘managing time’.

    “I did not share with anyone that I am planning for JKAS except my family and some close friends and teachers,” she said. She has been supported emotionally by her family and her friends even in her studies. The struggle to make a living with her father and uncle has inspired her to achieve success. She considers her parents as her role model.

    Her life motto is ‘this too shall pass,’ and she believes this helps her face every hardship. While suggesting aspirants she said, “optimism and faith can help you find God, let alone pass an examination.” She aims to go for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the future.

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    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

  • Sana Fayaz, Kashmir JKAS Topper Is An IAS Too

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    by Maleeha Sofi

    SRINAGAR: In the just-released JKAS results, Sana Fayaz emerged as the topper from Kashmir region. She secured 1138.5 marks, the highest in the tally of Kashmir’s 31 candidates who passed the examination from the Srinagar centre.

    Though Sana, a resident of Peer Bagh, ranks fourth in the overall list of Jammu and Kashmir, she tops the Kashmir region. Three top slots in JKAS were bagged by Jammu. Megha Gupta topped the list with 1177.5 marks, Shreya Sharma the second topper with 1167.5 marks and Vishal Kumar is the third topper with 1142.5. He is also on the list of reserved category candidates at the same time.

    However, what is interesting about Sana is that she also cracked Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2021.

    Sana has completed her schooling at Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School. She holds a BTech from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar and a postgraduate degree in Climate Change Studies. She started preparing for the Civil Services Examination after completing her engineering in 2017.

    “The syllabus of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is very much allied with the syllabus of JKAS,” Sana said. “While preparing for GATE, I prepared for Civil Services too, but my main focus has always been UPSC.”

    She attempted both JKAS and UPSC for the first time in the year 2017. In the year 2021, she appeared for JKAS for the second time and for the fourth time for UPSC and achieved success in both exams. She has been appointed to the Junior Time Scale of the Indian Trade Service as Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade.

    “I faced problems in my optional subject and every time my score was affected because of it,” Sana said. “I suggest everyone choose their optional subjects very carefully.” She is of the belief that the number of hours that one invests in the study does not really matter. “What matters is how focused you are and your concentration level matters. One should not give up so soon in such competitive exams.”

    She credits her family and friends for her success. The support she has received in all these years while she was preparing has been a pillar for her. She is the first member of her whole family to attempt and qualify for both the JKAS and UPSC. “The hard work of my parents has been my biggest inspiration to achieve something great,” she added. Both of her parents are professors.

    While talking about the challenges she faced in the journey, she opined, “We have to turn our setbacks into our stepping stones.  If you truly want to come into this service and you are sufficiently motivated, you will achieve this even if it takes time and several attempts.” “Competitive exams do not come with an assurance of success and people may not have backup plans. Many aspirants face anxiety ahead of exams because everyone wants a secure future,” she added.

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    #Sana #Fayaz #Kashmir #JKAS #Topper #IAS

    ( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )