CM Omar Backs Students’ Demands for Reforms at South Campus of KU

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has extended his support to a series of academic and infrastructural reforms demanded by students, scholars, and faculty members of South Campus, University of Kashmir.

The demands were formally raised by Reyaz Ahmad Khan, Member of the Legislative Assembly from Shangus Anantnag East, through a detailed DO letter dated August 14, 2025. The Chief Minister marked the letter to the Minister of School Education Department with the observation that the MLA had raised some very valid points and asked for the matter to be examined.

For years, students and scholars of South Campus have highlighted issues of inequity, lack of infrastructure, and administrative neglect, which, according to them, have limited the academic potential of South Kashmir’s only major higher education institution. The MLA’s submission has brought these issues once again into the mainstream, raising expectations that the government will initiate action.

The DO letter outlined seven major demands. The first is the introduction of new academic departments, including the establishment of a Department of Social Sciences and the launch of a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws integrated programme. The MLA argued that these additions would prepare students for careers in public service, law, and development, besides raising the profile of South Kashmir as a centre of higher learning.

The second demand concerns scholarships. At present, only seven stipends are available for nearly twenty non-JRF research scholars across five departments, which the MLA described as grossly inequitable when compared with the main campus where each department benefits from around half a dozen stipends. The letter called for an equitable redistribution so that research scholars at South Campus have the same opportunities as their counterparts in Srinagar.

The third demand is the restoration of campus choice during admission. Students at present are allocated seats solely on the basis of entrance scores, with high-ranking candidates placed exclusively in the main campus. This, the MLA and student representatives argue, deprives students of the autonomy to choose their preferred campus and undermines inclusivity. The restoration of choice, they said, would ensure fairness and allow students to study closer to their homes if they so wished.

Another demand is the establishment of functional departmental libraries. The letter stresses that every department must have its own fully equipped library with specialised resources to meet disciplinary needs. Such libraries would serve not only as repositories of knowledge but as centres for academic discussion and innovation, strengthening South Campus as a hub of scholarship.

The MLA also drew attention to the long-delayed auditorium project. Construction of the multipurpose auditorium at South Campus has been suspended for more than a decade, depriving students of a space for seminars, cultural programmes, and academic gatherings. Completion of this facility, the letter argues, would be a symbolic and practical step in providing South Campus with the same amenities that other institutions already possess.

Connectivity has also been highlighted as a pressing issue. The absence of continuous shuttle or vehicle services linking South Campus with nearby towns is seen as a major obstacle for students and faculty. The letter recommends the introduction of a dedicated, round-the-clock shuttle service to ensure timely and reliable access for the academic community.

The MLA has proposed the establishment of a regional museum at South Campus. If realised, it would be the first museum in South Kashmir and would preserve the area’s historical, cultural, and anthropological heritage. It would provide students with opportunities for research and curatorial training, while also serving the wider public as a space for cultural preservation and community pride.

Student representatives have welcomed the Chief Minister’s supportive remarks, saying that his intervention has given them new hope. A group of scholars at South Campus said their demands were not political but based on the genuine academic needs of the institution, and that they now looked forward to concrete steps from the government.

Faculty members also stressed the importance of parity with the main campus, noting that addressing these issues would restore balance and morale. One senior faculty member said that South Campus had long been at a disadvantage in comparison to the main campus and that implementing these reforms would provide much-needed equity.

The matter now rests with the School Education Department, which has been directed by the Chief Minister to examine the proposals. MLA Reyaz Ahmad Khan has said he will continue to press the issue until results are visible. He described the reforms as critical for strengthening the intellectual and cultural framework of South Kashmir and called them a milestone opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to inclusive education and youth empowerment.