Guv, CM for sharper focus on sports in varsities

Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor, respectively, of the University of Kashmir, have suggested sharper focus on sports and extra-curricular activities and corresponding strengthening of the required sports infrastructure in the universities and their affiliated colleges.
At the University Council meeting of Kashmir University, they noted that it was not enough to merely show higher pass percentages, but also ensure the balanced personality development of all the students.
The Governor also emphasised sustained attention to research, which is essential to maintaining a high standard of scholarship in the university.
Education Minister Naeem Akhter participated in the meeting.
The Governor advised Prof Khurshid Andrabi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir, to institute an annual event for recognising and awarding the best teachers and all the outstanding scholars who bring laurels to the university, particularly those who bag prestigious national and international fellowships, those who produce outstanding researches and others who excel in extra-curricular activities.
The council advised that the university should have dynamic interactions with the industrial houses and relevant institutions in the public and private sectors before deciding the nature of changes which may be made in the existing curricula so that the syllabi corresponds to the evolving job market requirements.
The Vice Chancellor informed the council about the reforms initiated by the university. These included academic reforms; faculty recruitments which are essentially based on academic credentials; bringing contractual faculty credentials at par with those of the regular faculty; mandating student approval of answer book evaluation; upgrade of laboratory and departmental infrastructure under RUSA; online student feedback of the teaching quality; institutionalising peer review of the teaching faculty; performance audit and yearend evaluation of the new faculty members before they are confirmed on the completion of their probation periods.