J&K's Article 370 abrogated, Centre approves IIM Jammu off-campus in Srinagar, allocates Rs 51.8 crore

Just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech about opening the floodgates in terms of the full gamut of services, facilities and development push for the people in the state of Jammu and Kashmir following Article 370's abrogation, the Centre has approved an off-campus centre of Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Jammu in Srinagar.

Srinagar to get temporary IIM-Jammu centre

The move comes shortly after Article 370 was abrogated, and J&K was fully brought under the ambit of the Indian Constitution. 

The Centre approved the temporary campus and sanctioned ₹51.8 crore to set it up.

 IIM-Jammu director BS Sahay said, "To begin with, we will start an incubation centre and offer management development programmes." He added that full-time MBA programmes would begin at the temporary Srinagar campus soon.   

Earlier, the Modi government had also approved the setting up of an AIIMS campus in J&K, while IIT Jammu opened in 2016 to add to NIT Srinagar which is another top engineering college in the state.

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PM Modi addresses the nation about Article 370

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke at length about the integration of Kashmir with the rest of India and its implication for the region. He spoke about how Article 370 had impeded the development of the state and well being of the people.

"Earlier developments which were only on paper are now taking place on the ground. Earlier, they were stalled, but now, the projects which were stalled for decades are coming upto speed. We are trying to bring a new work culture and an attitude to have foresight in the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Due to this work on IIMs, IITs, irrigation projects and Anti-Corruption Bureau, have been sped up. Be it the work on roads, air connectivity, and its modernisation, all the work is being done speedily.

Scrapping of Article 370​

Article 370 and 35A had the combined effect of making Jammu and Kashmir a law onto itself, especially with regard to land-ownership and reservations. Removing the articles is likely to pave the way for easy investment into the state, and the government of India is already eyeing this, given that it has announced that a massive investment summit will be held in October this year. In his address to the nation, the Prime Minister spoke about how J&K had the potential to be the world's top tourist destination, but also made a pitch to a variety of industries.

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