Srinagar: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir plans to encourage private educational institutions, as part of its endeavour to boost education in the state and ensure quality.

A committee constituted by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the rationalization of the management quota in respect of private technical, medical and higher education, met here recently.

Committee members deliberated upon the existing system and the mechanism to be adopted for their regulation.

Minister for Medical and Youth Services and Sports R. S. Chib, Minister for Higher Education, Abul Gani Malik and Minister for Social Welfare and ARI Trainings Sakina Ittoo discussed the issues threadbare with the Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Dr. R.K.Jerath, Secretary, ARI and Trainings, Jeet Lal Gupta, Secretary, Technical Education and Sports, B.A.Runiyal, Secretary, Higher Education Ms. Tanveer Jehan and Secretary, Law, G.H.Tantaray.

During the meeting, it was felt that there was a dire need to encourage private sector in the field of education in the State.

It was also felt that at the same time the private institutions must adhere to the norms laid down by the affiliated universities and regulatory bodies like All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), and Dental Council of India (DCI) in respect of infrastructure, academic standards and qualified faculty.

The problems being faced by these institutions in free revision and fee fixation were also discussed in the meeting.

Minister for Medical and Youth Services and Sports Chib, on this occasion, said that the private institutions will have to reserve seats for economically weaker sections so that the students belonging to far off and backward areas would be benefited with the facilities of education in these institutions.

He said that healthy environment, high moral standards, punctuality and discipline shall have to be maintained at all costs by these institutions.

Malik stressed for quality education and sense of responsibility and good behaviour among students and staff of educational institutions in the State. He said that Government has taken up several initiatives to bring improvement in Government Colleges and the highest seats of learning to ensure better quality of education.

Sakina Itoo also suggested several measures to curb commercialization of private institutions in the State besides imbibing spirit of dedication and zeal among students in the State. She stressed for work culture to be adopted by the managements and faculty of private institutions to harness the latent talent among the student community.