J&K Education Minister vows to equip youth with global skills

Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday pledged to foster innovation and critical thinking among the youth to prepare them for future global challenges, officials said. Itoo said research-driven education is key to addressing the contemporary challenges and building a knowledge-based society.

The Minister made these remarks while addressing a two-day international conference on Emerging Trends in Multidisciplinary Research (ICETMR-2025), organized by the Government Gandhi Memorial (GGM) Science College in Jammu.

In her presidential address, the Minister lauded GGM Science College for its commitment to academic excellence and for providing a platform to young researchers. She highlighted on the importance of fostering innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and critical thinking among researchers and students to prepare them for future global challenges.

The Education Minister also appreciated the efforts of the faculty and administration in nurturing a culture of inquiry and encouraged them to actively contribute towards nation-building through meaningful research and innovation.

While speaking on the significance of this two day conference, the Minister said it is a unique platform for vibrant exchange of ideas and scholarly discussions aimed at uplifting the educational standards of Jammu and Kashmir. She added that the conference will bring together leading academicians, researchers and experts from across the country and around the globe to deliberate on new frontiers of research, innovation and knowledge exchange, which will help in shaping the academic and research ecosystem here for a long time.

Addressing the gathering, MLA Yudhveer Sethi appreciated the college for hosting a conference of such scale, emphasising the role of youth in shaping a progressive society.

Vice Chancellor, Cluster University of Jammu, Prof KS Chardrasekar spoke in length about the need to strengthen research culture in higher education institutions.