“Jammu and Kashmir has forged a new destiny, a new identity and woven new dreams. This must be protected at all costs and those who try to break the dreams of our youth must be dealt with severely,” J&K Governor Manoj Sinha said. | Photo credit: PTI
Terrorism has been the “biggest enemy of the youth of J&K” for more than three decades and destroyed their dreams and aspirations, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
He was speaking at the valedictory session of the foundation day celebrations of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) in Awantipora.
“Terrorism was the biggest enemy of the youth of J&K. Now our youth and young professionals are fulfilling their dreams and achieving their aspirations. However, our neighboring countries and some of their terrorist elements sitting here are trying to disrupt this progress,” Sinha said.
These remarks came after the role of three doctors from Kashmir came under the scanner for “terrorist links” in the recent past. Remain “vigilant towards such ecosystems and work together to thwart their efforts,” LG said.
“Jammu and Kashmir has forged a new destiny, a new identity and woven new dreams. This must be protected at all costs and those who are trying to break the dreams of our youth must be dealt with severely,” Mr. Sinha said.
Massive investment in the last five to six years in human capital, research and development, incubation centers and infrastructure of the university would drive the economic growth of J&K, Mr. Sinha said of the university’s contribution. “Academic programs have increased from 41 to 90 between 2021 and 2025, offering interdisciplinary and cutting-edge courses such as artificial intelligence, robotics, ‘design your own degree’, space technology, data science and apprenticeships at UG (undergraduate) level,” LG said.
Applications in multiple fields increased from 3,000 in 2021 to 7,600 in 2025, with increased diversity from across J&K and beyond. “Prior to 2021, IUST’s external research funding was just ₹ 2 crore per year. In four years, more than ₹ 69 crore in external funding has been achieved for research,” Mr Sinha said.
The university has also grown in the past four years to incubate 93 start-ups, host more than 225 incubators and nurture award-winning innovations in renewable energy, healthcare and information technology, Mr Sinha said.
“32 patents were granted, 77 patents were published, another 33 filed; moreover, two faculties were ranked among the top Indian scientists in their field. It is a matter of pride for IUST,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor directed IUST to continue researching innovations in the development of low-cost energy-resilient houses. He also asked the university to explore ways to effectively reuse road and building construction materials and promote cold mix technology for more durable roads. “IUST also needs to provide innovative solutions for communication technology to reach remote regions without relying on traditional signal towers,” said Mr. Sinha.
Published – 12 Nov 2025 21:56 IST
