Two colleges each for architecture and nursing are likely to come up in Jammu and Kashmir with the state government proposing the idea to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).
The idea of setting up the colleges was placed before Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar by J-K Education Minister Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday.
"During the meeting, Bukhari placed the idea of setting up two colleges for architecture and two nursing schools in the state, before the Minister. The state has been asked to draft formal proposals for the same and assured that the idea will be given a positive consideration," a senior official said.
Bukhari and his junior minister Priya Sethi had an hour- long meeting with Javadekar following which a slew of initiatives for the education sector in the state were announced.
Two engineering colleges — at Safapora in Kashmir and at Kathua in Jammu — and seven hostels for girl students in Bemina, Kupwara, Pulwama, Kargil, Rajouri, Thathri and Palora areas have also been sanctioned by the Ministry.
Javadekar also approved disbursal of Rs 200 crore for payment of pending salaries of teachers under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Rs 34 crore was approved under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan also.
Amid unrest in the state, the Centre is making arrangements for setting up an off-campus of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in the Valley, in a bid to woo youth towards quality education.
Off-campuses are extension of the main campus. An IIM in Jammu is already operational in a temporary campus.
"The Jammu and Kashmir government has offered a land plot for the off-campus and within a week a site-survey team will visit there and the work will be started there soon," Javadekar had yesterday said, adding, process for a permanent campus in Jammu will also be expedited.