 Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 22: The University of Jammu marked a significant milestone in its academic expansion with the inauguration of the Academic Block for the “Design Your Degree” (DYD) program on Monday at 1:30 PM. The inauguration ceremony was organized by the Office of the Dean, Planning and Development, University of Jammu, reflecting the University’s continued commitment to innovative and future-ready education.
The Academic Block was formally inaugurated by Shri Shantmanu, IAS, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Higher Education Department, Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, in the august presence of Prof. Umesh Rai, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, along with senior university officials, faculty members, and staff.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Alka Sharma, Director, SIIEDC, who expressed gratitude to all contributors and emphasized that the newly inaugurated infrastructure would significantly enhance learning spaces, fostering an innovative, flexible, and student-centric academic environment in alignment with the vision of the Design Your Degree program.
The Design Your Degree program is a forward-looking academic initiative aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, offering students flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, and skill-oriented education. The newly inaugurated Academic Block has been envisioned as a dedicated academic and creative space to foster innovation, experiential learning, and academic excellence. Equipped with modern classrooms and collaborative learning spaces, the block will support student-centric pedagogy, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary engagement.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Shantmanu, IAS, emphasized the need for adaptive, flexible, and learner-driven education models to meet contemporary academic and professional challenges. He appreciated the University of Jammu’s efforts in translating the vision of NEP 2020 into tangible academic infrastructure.
In his address, Prof. Umesh Rai, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, highlighted the University’s commitment to NEP-driven reforms and strengthening institutional infrastructure to support innovative programs like Design Your Degree. He reiterated that the DYD program empowers students to design customized academic pathways that integrate multiple disciplines, creativity, and real-world relevance.
The ceremony was also attended by Prof. K. S. Charak, Prof. Sadaf Shah (Associate Director, SIIEDC), Dr. Jatinder Manhas (Associate Director, SIIEDC), Prof. Shallu Sehgal, Dr. Anil Gupta, Dr. Pallavi Sachdeva, Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Sandeep Arya, Dr. Sakshi, Prof. Sarika Manhas, Dr. Ripu Daman Parihar, Dr. Manish Kumar, who contributed to the academic and administrative deliberations of the occasion. |
