Srinagar, May 14: Minister for Higher Education Sakina Itoo on Thursday urged faculty members across educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir to treat female students like their own daughters and sisters, stressing the need to ensure a safe and secure atmosphere on campuses.
Addressing a gathering at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre, the minister said Kashmir has always been known as “Reshiwar” — the land of saints and spiritual values — and that educational institutions must uphold that ethos by providing women students with a sense of dignity, protection, and respect.
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She said parents should feel reassured while sending their daughters to colleges and universities, and students themselves must feel completely safe within educational campuses.
“Our teachers and faculty members should look at female students as their daughters and sisters. The parents who send their daughters to educational institutions should have the confidence that their children are safe and secure there,” Sakina said.
Her remarks come in the backdrop of the recent controversy at Government Degree College Amar Singh, where protests erupted after a female student allegedly accused a faculty member of verbal harassment. The incident triggered demonstrations by students inside the college premises, prompting the Higher Education Department to order an inquiry into the matter. Subsequently, the college principal and an assistant professor were suspended pending investigation.
The minister said educational institutions are meant to nurture students academically and morally, and there should be zero tolerance for any conduct that compromises the safety or dignity of students.
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The Amar Singh College incident sparked widespread concern among students and parents in Kashmir, with many demanding strict accountability and stronger safeguards within educational institutions.
