Govt to strengthen existing schools, colleges: Itoo

Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: Education Minister Sakeena Itoo today said the Government is focusing on strengthening the infrastructure of existing schools and colleges and filling staff vacancies to meet the growing educational needs of students, rather than opening new institutions.
Replying to a clubbed question of legislators Mir Saifullah and Farooq Ahmad Shah in the Assembly, Itoo said that 52 newly sanctioned degree colleges are being made fully functional before any new proposal for additional colleges will be taken up across the J&K.
She said the upgrading of degree colleges will not be guided by political influence but based solely on public need. “Health and education are vital sectors that reflect a society’s development. They should not be seen through the prism of vote-bank politics,” she said.
Regarding the establishment of a degree college at Manjakote, Itoo said a State Level Empowered Standing Committee has been constituted to examine feasibility and identify unserved areas. As per the feasibility report, land measuring 72 kanals and 15 marlas in village Lower Saroola, 9 kanals in village Lower Mangar (Nagar), and 56 kanals of custodian land at Talwad, village Dehri Dhara, have been made available for the proposed college.
On the proposal for a degree college in Arnia, she said demands have been received from different sections of society and MLAs and are being evaluated on feasibility parameters. The report found that Government Degree Colleges (GDC) at R.S. Pura and Bishnah, both around 17 km away, cater to the educational needs of the area. Seven degree colleges are already operational in Jammu district. She said establishing a new college in the vicinity may be reconsidered once optimum enrollment is achieved at the existing colleges.
For Lohai-Malhar, Itoo said the Government has approved a degree college considering the remoteness and topography of the area, as well as its 60 km distance from GDC Bani. On Bandipora, she said the existing GDC caters to 497 female and 530 male students, with seven other colleges functioning in the district. “With current enrollment trends, our focus remains on ensuring quality education and strengthening academic infrastructure,” she said.
Regarding Surankote, Itoo said the Tehsildar has identified 66 kanals of state land at village Kotlaha for the construction of the GDC for Women, and the land has been transferred to the Principal of GDC Surankote.
The minister also announced that the Government is de-freezing 50 percent of teaching posts across J&K to address staff shortages in schools. She made the statement while replying to a question by legislator Javaid Iqbal. “Recruitment of teachers will bridge staff shortages and enhance the quality of education in Government schools,” she said.
Itoo said there is no proposal for upgrading schools to higher levels-from primary to middle, middle to high, or high to higher secondary-as the School Education Department is currently concentrating on consolidating infrastructure and providing adequate staff to all existing schools, particularly those recently upgraded.
“The upgradation of schools from high to higher secondary involves establishing infrastructure and creating posts for lecturers and non-teaching staff, which has huge financial implications and requires concurrence from the Finance Department,” she said. The Minister added that the demand for upgrading schools in the Trehgam constituency will be examined as and when such proposals are considered.
She said massive infrastructure development is underway under Samagra Shiksha to ensure basic facilities in all schools and that elected representatives are being consulted to prioritise development projects.
Giving details, the Minister said Budhal constituency has a total of 917 sanctioned positions, including principals, lecturers, ZEOs, headmasters, masters, and teachers-of which 484 are filled and 433 remain vacant. Sixty-seven Government schools in Budhal are functioning without their own buildings, but 33 have been approved or sanctioned for construction during 2024-25 and 2025-26 under Samagra Shiksha. The remaining schools will be taken up in subsequent phases under UT/District Capex.
She said 115 school buildings in Budhal were declared unsafe after recent flash floods, while 26 teachers have been posted in the “Aspirational Block” Khawas during the recent Annual Transfer Drive. The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) stands at 15:1 in the Rajouri district and 24:1 in Budhal-within the national norm of 30:1.
To address staff shortages, the Minister said the School Education Department has engaged 32 Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs), five subject-specific teachers, and regularised 37 contingent paid workers as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS). Two junior assistants have been posted in the ZEO Office Peeri, and rationalisation of teaching staff is underway.
Itoo also highlighted “Project Tameer,” conceived by the Rajouri District Administration in 2015-16 for constructing 100 school buildings in convergence with MGNREGA. Out of these, 40 fall within the Budhal constituency, though only two have been completed so far.
“The Government’s focus remains on strengthening existing infrastructure, filling vacancies, and ensuring quality education across the Union Territory,” Itoo said.

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