Setting up IIT-Jammu was a Herculean task: Minister

Union Minister Jitendra Singh delivered an address on ‘Ease of Doing Research and Development’ at IIT Jammu on Monday.

The event witnessed the participation of faculty, NITI Aayog representatives, eminent scientists, academicians and institutional leaders.

Reflecting on the genesis of IIT Jammu, Jitendra Singh recalled a conversation from over a decade ago with the late Arun Jaitley, the then Finance Minister, which ultimately led to the sanctioning of the IIT for Jammu in the Union Budget. He noted that setting up the institution from scratch was a Herculean task, but expressed pride that it is now thriving under dynamic leadership and advancing in academic excellence.

The Minister emphasised that making research and development more accessible and effective is not the job of a single ministry or institution. “This is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders—including academia, policymakers, industry and society at large,” he stated, adding that institutional reforms must be matched by cultural and systemic shifts.

Highlighting Jammu’s emerging educational ecosystem, Singh noted the rare proximity of IIT, IIM, AIIMS, IIIM, and IIMC institutions in the region. He called for early industry linkage from the outset of academic projects for sustainable start-ups to foster relevance and innovation.