Marked by a series of events highlighting the institution’s growth and achievements, the University of Jammu (JU) celebrated its 55th Foundation Day here on Thursday.

Prof Dinesh Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University and Vice-Chairman, J&K Higher Education Council, was the chief guest. Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director of IIT Jammu; Prof Bechan Lal, Vice-Chancellor of Cluster University of Jammu, and Prof Pragiti Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University were the guests of honour.

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In his address, Prof Dinesh Singh reflected on the significance of such celebrations, emphasising the need for introspection and continual improvement.

Prof Singh spoke about the evolving role of educators, stating, “A teacher should learn from his students and always strive for self-improvement, aiming to make a substantial change in society.”

He lauded the leadership of JU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Umesh Rai, for steering the University to new heights calling JU ‘the new rising sun’, particularly through initiatives like the “Design Your Degree” program, which he described as a pioneering effort for student empowerment.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Umesh Rai highlighted JU’s remarkable achievements, including its rise in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF-2024), where it secured the 50th position among universities and 23rd among the State Universities. He shared that the University’s Business School earned recognition, ranking 18th in The Week’s Government B-School category.

Prof Rai introduced “Jammuriyat,” a new term aimed at foregrounding the rich cultural diversity of the Jammu region. He asserted that the pluralistic nature of this region should necessarily be developed, fore-grounded, preserved and celebrated to ensure its addition to the national pluralism. He announced that the club consortium ‘UTSAH’ will organise a series of activities around it.

On the infrastructure front, Prof Umesh Rai announced the initiation of several significant projects, including the Innovation Tower, a new facility for the Department of Journalism & Mass Media, and the Madan Mohan Malaviya Teachers’ Training Centre.

Cluster University of Jammu VC Prof Bechan Lal commended the University’s achievements under Prof Rai’s leadership, particularly the institution’s impressive performance in the NIRF rankings and its role in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP).

IIT Jammu Director Prof Gaur highlighted JU’s journey, saying these achievements are a reminder of the glorious past. He praised the University’s present NIRF ranking, attributing it to the dynamism of the Jammu University fraternity. Prof Gaur further acknowledged JU’s legacy of producing notable personalities.

Earlier, Prof Anju Bhasin, Dean Academic Affair presented a formal welcome address.