J&K students will get quality education: govt

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the Central Government has put special focus on providing quality education to the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) students for their "bright future."

Addressing an event here at Bal Bhavan, he said his Ministry has been "monitoring" the progress made in the implementation of various students welfare programmes in the state "on a monthly basis."

He also assured the J&K students of providing them with "all possible support" to enable them to  pursue higher education.

"I will soon visit the State to conduct a review (of the progress made so far in the  education sector in J&K)," the minister added.

The Minister was addressing a group of 500 J&K school students who were here since January 18 under a students exchange programme rolled out by the HRD Ministry from this year.

"I will also come to J&K with 500 students from other parts of the country under the exchange programme," he said.

Addressing the event, Minister of State for HRD Satya Pal Singh exhorted the J&K school students to return home to share the message of "trust, love and freedom," with their friends and family members.

"I believe that one-day lakhs of people from different parts of India would visit Kashmir to celebrate Republic Day. I am sure these youngsters will show us the way. They will do what our police and military could not do in last 70 years," he said.

He said Kashmir is an integral part of India and the students must take pride in India's independence from the Colonial rule.

"Freedom is the biggest wealth. This day (Republic day) reminds us of the sacrifices that our forefathers made for our freedom," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, J&K Education Minister Altaf Bukhari appreciated the central government for organising students exchange programme, saying it will help "remove misgivings" that the people in the Valley and rest of the part of the country have been carrying with regard to J&K.