Indian army with guns and roses in Kashmir -Governance Now

Indian army with guns and roses in Kashmir

15 Kashmiri students trained by Indian army crack JEE Mains

Aasha Khosa | May 5, 2016 | New Delhi

#IIT #Indian army #operation sadbhavana #JEE Mains #Kashmir #Super 30

If you believe that army in Kashmir is only for killing terrorists, then here is something that will change your perception. 15 out of 30 Kashmiri students are about to enter the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), thanks to the coaching provided by the Indian army.

The lucky students received rigorous coaching for cracking the hard test under ‘Super 30’ scheme launched by the army, taking a cue from the pioneering effort in Bihar where a group of IIT graduates provide free coaching to the poor yet meritorious students.

As soon as the result of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) was out, the army felicitated students who had passed.

Most of these students belong to economically weaker sections and are from the border districts which have poor education facilities. So far the army has established 46 goodwill schools across the state, most of which are located in border and far flung areas.

These schools were set up realising that Pakistan-sponsored propaganda was targeted at young minds in Kashmir and unless something was done to blunt this, the physical elimination of terrorists alone would not change the situation.

The army decided to change its tactics and get involved in developmental activities in Kashmir. In 1998, it launched Operation Sadhbhavana (Operation Goodwill) with Rs 4 crore fund with an aim of creating opportunities for the young people, particularly in border and underdeveloped areas.

“The idea was to win the hearts and minds of people and to show them we care as against Pakistan’s scheme of unleashing violence and mayhem in the valley,” a retired army officer, who was involved in implementation of the operation told Governance Now.

With a clear vision to help students, the army has also helped in improving facilities at 1,900 state-run schools.

Separatist leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani had opposed setting up of an army boarding school at Pahalgam. However, there were no takers for his fiat that people should not send their children to these schools.

Interestingly, while Pakistan sponsored terror outfits like Harkat-ul-ansar were responsible for burning hundreds of schools, particularly the girls schools, during peak of insurgency in Kashmir, Islamabad had also launched a propaganda against army schools and Operation Sadhbhavana through its media.

“Today, the popularity of army schools is so much that getting admission there is dream of many parents,” a senior Kashmir-based journalist said.

At present 14,000 students are studying in these schools and about one lakh have already passed out.

Army says it has, so far, spent about Rs 500 crore on Operation Sadhbhavana, which is targeted to “improve the overall core social indices of education, women and youth empowerment, and health care with simultaneous thrust on capacity building through implementation of community/infrastructure development projects.”

The army says all developmental work under Operation Sadhbhavana is framed on the basis of people’s demand and is executed in association with state administration. “The core of Operation Sadhbhavana theme gyrates around aspirations of local populace and India’s national interest,” the army portal states.

Comments

Other News

More judges will not fix courts without better court work practices

A vacant courtroom cannot decide a case. Neither can a poorly managed courtroom simply decide twice as many cases after receiving an additional judge. Judicial capacity and court productivity are related, but they are not the same. The distinction matters because India’s district and subord

Dharmendra Pradhan tenders resignation

Dharmendra Pradhan, education minister at the centre of the storm of the NEET paper leak, offered his resignation to the prime minister on Saturday. He posted a two-page letter on X, saying he was pained by the events of the last ten days. "This is not a matter of personal

Cabinet approves scheme of chemical parks

The union cabinet chaired by the PM has approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan or BHAVYA - Rasayan Scheme for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in the country. The Scheme was announced in the Union Budget of FY 2026–27. The Scheme will have a total financ

Anurag Jain, IAS appointed as Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog

Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a two-year term after serving as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. A distinguished administrator with extensive experience in infrastructure, industrial de

Shri Ashok Barnwal, IAS has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh

Ashok Barnwal, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, succeeding Anurag Jain following his appointment as CEO of NITI Aayog. Prior to assuming the state`s top bureaucratic position, Barnwal served as Additional Chief Secretar

PM announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stated that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Emphasising that nothing is more important than the welfare and future of the youth, he noted that h