In recognition to outstanding contribution towards the welfare and education of students from Jammu & Kashmir studying in Punjab and Chandigarh, Dr Anshu Kataria, President of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) and Chairman of Aryans Group of Colleges, Chandigarh, was honoured with the “Voice of J&K Students in Punjab” Award by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The award was presented during a prestigious ceremony held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, in the presence of Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister, and Sakina Itoo, Minister for Education and Health.
While interacting with Dr Kataria and the education fraternity, CM invited educational institutions from Punjab to establish colleges and universities in J&K. He observed that every year nearly Rs 2,500–3,000 crore flows out of the Union Territory in the form of tuition fees and educational expenses as students move to other states for higher education.
He emphasized that the establishment of quality institutions within J&K would not only strengthen the local education ecosystem and generate employment opportunities but would also reduce financial outflow from the region and provide students with quality education closer to home.
Responding to the CM, Dr. Kataria highlighted that for nearly two decades, PUCA has been at the forefront of safeguarding the interests of J&K students studying in Punjab and Chandigarh. He stated that whenever students faced academic, administrative, scholarship, admission, hostel, or safety-related challenges, PUCA and its member institutions actively intervened to ensure timely support and resolution.
