Leh, Sept 2: An official announced on Saturday that Lieutenant Governor Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra has planned to establish an agriculture department at the University of Ladakh and move several SKUAST units there.
An official spokeswoman stated that Mishra made the choice during a meeting held at the Raj Niwas in this city to discuss the transfer of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology’s (SKUAST) assets.
According to the spokesperson, the Lt. Governor agreed that the University of Ladakh would affiliate with SKUAST Kashmir and establish a full-fledged agriculture department.
Additionally, Mishra decided that various SKUAST units in Ladakh will be transferred to the university’s agriculture programme.He gave the University of Ladakh’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. S. K. Mehta, instructions to hasten the establishment of the agriculture department.
Padma Angmo, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, Ladakh, made the suggestion that SKUAST turn over the property and the positions to Ladakh’s government.
Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, vice chancellor of SKUAST Kashmir, gave a presentation to the group about the institution and its location in the Union Territory.
He said that during the previous state of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh had six SKUAST units, two Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and two research institutes.
In August 2019, Ladakh was separated from the former state of Jammu & Kashmir and given the status of a Union Territory.Jammu and Kashmir also lost its special status granted by Article 370 and became a Union Territory.
Gania reported that six university departments had 45 open non-technical positions that are only available to people from Ladakh.
When Ladakh University’s Agriculture Department is fully operational, it will take over SKUAST-Kashmir’s assets, the spokeswoman said.
