JAMMU, Nov 14: President of Mission Statehood, Sunil Dimple, on Saturday strongly opposed the proposed establishment of a Jammu University campus in Budgam, Kashmir, alleging that ₹50 crore of Jammu’s resources were being spent on a campus outside the Jammu region while important educational institutions and facilities remained pending in Jammu.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club Jammu, Dimple demanded that the proposed university campus should instead be established in the Jammu region, particularly in Pir Panjal, Chenab Valley or Udhampur, to provide better educational opportunities to students from remote and underserved areas.
He alleged that the decision reflected discrimination against Jammu and questioned why funds generated through the fees paid by Jammu University students were being utilised for establishing a campus in Budgam rather than strengthening educational infrastructure within the Jammu region.
Dimple also raised concerns over the alleged disparity in fee structures between the University of Jammu and the University of Kashmir. He claimed that Jammu University was charging substantially higher fees for several courses, placing an additional financial burden on students and their families.
Citing a comparative fee structure, he stated that the fee for MA Political Science at Jammu University was Rs 19,750 against Rs 9,998 at Kashmir University. Similarly, the fee for MSc Environmental Science was stated to be Rs 29,050 at Jammu University compared to Rs 10,745 at Kashmir University.
He further pointed out that MCA fees at Jammu University stood at Rs 34,470 against Rs 10,745 at Kashmir University. In the five-year BA LLB programme, he cited a fee of Rs 42,801 at Jammu University compared to Rs 13,820 at Kashmir University.
Questioning the differences, Dimple asked why students enrolled in the two universities were facing such wide variations in fee structures. He demanded an affordable, transparent and rational fee policy, asserting that education should remain accessible to students from economically weaker backgrounds.
Dimple also criticised the BJP leadership, alleging that the Leader of Opposition, three MPs and 29 MLAs had failed to effectively raise Jammu’s educational concerns. He said the region continued to await a National Law University, a medical college at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, and other major educational institutions.
He demanded that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha intervene to establish a National Law University in Jammu, ensure the establishment of a medical college at Katra and appoint local Vice-Chancellors in universities across Jammu and Kashmir.
Dimple alleged that the concerns had intensified following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into a Union Territory.
Warning of intensified agitation, he urged the authorities to reconsider the Budgam campus proposal, address regional disparities in higher education and ensure equal opportunities for students across Jammu and Kashmir.
He maintained that Jammu students deserved fair treatment, affordable higher education and adequate institutional infrastructure within their own region.