Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 28
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday called for greater efforts to preserve the region’s cultural heritage and linguistic traditions, saying technological progress should go hand in hand with the protection of local identities and human values.
Sinha made the remarks while laying the foundation stone for the Kashmir chapter of the University of Jammu’s Centre for Regional Studies, Culture, Dialects and Emotional Intelligence.
The proposed centre aims to promote research into the region’s history, languages, cultural practices and social experiences, while developing a repository of knowledge for future generations.
“Languages, folklore, cultural practices, arts, faith, traditions, and lived experiences together shape the identity of a place,” Sinha said, adding that combining regional knowledge with emotional intelligence could deepen understanding of society.
He said the centre would pursue a range of initiatives, including manuscript preservation, digital archiving, linguistic mapping, ethnographic research and studies of pilgrimage, tourism, mountain ecology and local entrepreneurship. Fellowships for young scholars would also form part of its activities.
Sinha identified four priorities for the institution: balancing global connectivity with local identity, safeguarding endangered languages and knowledge systems, adopting interdisciplinary approaches to complex challenges, and recognising the importance of emotional well-being in education.
Universities must adapt to rapid technological change and the growing use of artificial intelligence while continuing to promote ethical awareness, continuous learning and collaboration across disciplines, he said.
Technological capability and emotional intelligence should be treated as complementary rather than competing priorities, Sinha added.
The main centre at the university’s Jammu campus and its Kashmir chapter could develop into a model for research, cultural preservation and human-centred development, while strengthening the international standing of universities in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
University of Jammu Vice Chancellor Umesh Rai, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg, Dean of Research Studies Neelu Rohmetra, Director of the university’s Kashmir sub-office Guneet Singh Sudan, and Dean of Planning and Development Sangita Gupta attended the ceremony.
Other attendees included Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, Budgam Deputy Commissioner Jatin Kishore, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts regional director Shruti Awasthi, and senior civil and police officials.
