‘Kashmir’ is no stranger to global headlines. In the past, it has mostly been due to Pak sponsored proxy war, which left thousands of people dead over the last three decades. But not anymore, as today the world is not talking about Kashmir; rather, they are ‘talking in Kashmir’. The successful conduct of the G-20 meet in Srinagar, involving 64 foreign delegates, despite boycott calls by few countries, indicates the changing tides in the valley. The change has not happened overnight. Numerous measures have been undertaken by the government machinery to advocate peace and tranquility in the region, including reforms like the abrogation of Article 370, efforts to boost local tourism and the handloom industry, infrastructure development to connect the valley with the mainland, providing educational scholarships, and skill development programs to guide the youth towards the mainstream. The Indian Army has contributed positively to the cause by working ‘hand in glove’ with the Civil Administration, adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic means to reduce militancy and develop a connection with the locals.
The Indian Army has been instrumental in spreading the developmental agenda in the valley by focusing on infrastructure projects like roads and bridges, promoting skill development among youth, encouraging women empowerment projects, countering the drug menace by establishing de-addiction centres, and sponsoring various educational projects such as Army Goodwill Schools, sponsorships to reputed schools & colleges outside Kashmir, and educational tours. This article will attempt to provide insight into the various educational projects being undertaken by the Indian Army, with special emphasis on sharing the experiences of families whose wards are studying outside Jammu & Kashmir.
The educational projects undertaken by the Indian Army have been a game-changer. Thousands of students are receiving quality education in 28 Army Goodwill Schools (AGS) in Kashmir, employing 600 plus teachers and staff. The AGS project initially started to fill the gap created by the burning and closing of schools by terrorists in the valley. However, with the return of normalcy and a well-established Civil Administration, other civil schools and colleges have flourished in the valley. Despite that, the Indian Army has continued with the project, providing quality education at a nominal fee. The AGS has designed various schemes to nurture the future generation with knowledge and skills by providing quality education, standard infrastructure, and incorporating the latest technology to ease the learning process. The efforts have seen AGS Wazur standing 12th in the entire Union Territory this year, and better results are expected in the coming years. In another path-breaking step in the educational field, the Indian Army has collaborated with the Centre for Social Responsibility and Leadership (CSRL), HPCL, NEEDO and Petronet LNG Ltd (PLL) to bring initiatives like ‘Super 50’ for engineering aspirants and ‘Super 30’ for medical aspirants. The purpose is to help students pursue quality education by providing financial assistance and preparing them for competitive exams. These programs have empowered the youth of the valley and their families to compete with bright students from across the country in the entrance exams to the IITs and NEET.
The Indian Army has also launched various scholarship programs for school-going and undergraduate Kashmiri students outside Jammu & Kashmir under the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES), providing them exposure to various challenges of the outside world and enabling them to merge with the rest of the country. The Education Festival organised by civil administration alongwith Indian Army has resulted in provision of scholarship worth three crore rupees to the worthy students. The educational advancements in the valley is proving to be a game changer for the valley.
