By: State Correspondent Published: Thursday Region: Jammu & Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a series of key developmental works at Kashmir Government Polytechnic, Srinagar, and e-inaugurated infrastructure upgrades worth ₹4.20 crore across Government Polytechnics in Kishtwar, Ramban, Kulgam, and Kupwara.
Addressing students, faculty, and administrators, the Chief Minister underscored the urgent necessity of aligning skill-based and vocational learning with formal education to secure the career prospects of J&K’s youth in an evolving job market.
“We cannot give government jobs to everyone. If we have to prepare our children for the future, we have to give them the skills to compete in the job market, whether in Jammu and Kashmir, elsewhere in the country, or abroad.”
— Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
The Chief Minister noted that technical institutes must keep pace with market trends, specifically directing technical bodies to update curriculum modules and machinery to reflect modern employment demands across tourism, agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and IT sectors.
Key Directives & Infrastructure Updates
- Regional Upgrades: ₹4.20 crore infrastructure improvements e-inaugurated for polytechnics in Kishtwar, Ramban, Kulgam, and Kupwara.
- Three-Year Roadmap: Target set to revamp, equip, and elevate technical training institutions and ITIs across J&K to match university standards.
- Local Hiring Priority: Corporate entities and industrial projects entering the UT urged to prioritize certified local youth before recruiting external workforces.
- Global Competitiveness: Shift objective from routine manual labor export to producing high-value, skilled technical professionals for national and international markets.
Omar Abdullah maintained that the attention traditionally reserved for universities must be extended to ITIs and polytechnics. He emphasized that upcoming infrastructure projects and private investments entering Jammu and Kashmir should source talent locally, directing firms to tap into the homegrown pool of skilled technicians.
During the event, the Chief Minister also felicitated several students who recently secured international job placements, citing them as proof of the region’s technical potential when backed by practical skill training.
Present on the Occasion: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Advisor to Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Lal Chowk Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, MLA Karnah Javed Ahmed Mirchal, Secretary Skill Development Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Director Skill Development Department Dr. Owais Ahmed, Principal Kashmir Government Polytechnic Shafqat Ara, along with faculty members and students.
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