ZT WEB TEAM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the plan for the first central university in Ladakh with a Centre on Buddhist Studies. The proposed central university will offer degrees in all courses such as liberal arts and basic sciences except engineering and medical education,a report in Hindustan Times said Friday.
Ladakh got its first university – University of Ladakh – two years ago after the state assembly enacted a legislation in December 2018. This was a cluster university created by pooling all the resources of existing colleges of Ladakh.
PM Modi’s in-principle approval came at a meeting convened on Monday to review the steps taken by the government over the last one year in the union territories of Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir and outline the priorities for the Centre over the next few months to improve the lives of people. Union home minister Amit Shah, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and all top officials attended this meeting, the report in Hindustan Times said.
The education ministry is expected to move a formal proposal to set up the central university soon. It will require enactment of a central legislation that will, after clearance from the Union cabinet, go to parliament for its approval.
According to a proposal of the human resource development ministry, the Ladakh Central University is also aimed at students from Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh once the Rohtang La tunnel opens this year and ensures round the year access to Leh via Jispa-Sarchu-Upshi route. The university will have a Centre for Buddhist Studies to cater to the largely Gelug (to which the 14th Dalai Lama belongs) and Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist population of Ladakh, Hindustan Times report said