SRINAGAR — Despite being properties of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, the control of two important universities of J&K is still with the government.
Waqf Board has repeatedly reiterated that both these universities and their affiliated colleges are their properties and they will take control of them, but to date, both universities are being fully controlled and regulated by the government.
These two universities in question are the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) at Awantipora and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri.
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, as per the news agency KNT, came into existence by an Act of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly called the Jammu & Kashmir Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Act No. XVI of 2002.
The University is nurtured by the Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Council. Land and all other assistance for its creation were offered by the Waqf Board.
Data reveals that over 200-250 kanals of land on which IUST has been set up was donated by the Waqf Board. Besides land, Waqf also donated Rs 44 crore for the creation of this university at Awantipora.
Ironically, the government kept both universities out of the control of the J&K Waqf Board.
In response to a question under the Right to Information Act about the control of these two universities, the Waqf has maintained silence.
An official from the Waqf Board on condition of anonymity said that both these universities are Waqf properties but for reasons better known to the then J&K Government, the Waqf Board was kept out and even it has no representation in both the boards of these universities. He, however, said that sooner or later, Waqf will take control of these universities.
This post first appeared on The Kashmir Pulse
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