Jammu, March 15 : The Jammu and Kashmir government has formed a committee to rationalise new subjects taught in government degree colleges, the Assembly was told on Saturday.

Education and Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo also told the house that no timeline has been fixed for the committee examining reservation rules for submitting its report.

In reply to a question by National Conference member Sheikh Khursheed, she said that 58 subjects are currently being offered in government degree colleges, and a committee, constituted under Government Order No 229 JK(HE) of 2023, dated August 16, 2023, has been tasked with assessing, recommending and rationalising the introduction of new subjects along with intake capacity as per the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) under the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.

The minister emphasised that the committee's recommendations will streamline subject offerings and ensure alignment with evolving academic needs.

Sometimes new subjects introduced in the syllabi of colleges and universities have triggered controversies by certain religious groups or sections of society alleging that such a topic taught in the syllabus has hurt religious or sectarian sentiments.

It is for this very reason that the academicians tasked with the introduction of new subjects or topics have to exercise caution while recommending the introduction of a certain subject or a topic to be included in an already existing syllabus of a particular subject.

In a written reply to a question by Peoples Conference member, Sajad Gani Lone, Itoo informed the house that no specific timeline has been fixed for submitting a report by the committee set up to examine the reservation rules in J&K.

"The Cabinet Sub-Committee stands constituted vide Government order No. 2061- JKGAD of 2024, dated December 10, 2024, to examine the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding reservation rules. However, no specific timeline has been fixed for submitting the report, Itoo said.

Lone had asked whether a 6-month timeline has been granted to the ministerial panel for submitting the report.

The minister informed the House that over 5.26 lakh certificates under Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribe categories have been issued in the Jammu region since April 1, 2023, while the number of such certificates issued in the Kashmir region during this period is 79,813.

The government also revealed that 2,198 villages in Jammu are benefitting under the Actual Line of Control (ALC), the International Border (IB) and the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) rules in Jammu region while the number is 1,245 in Kashmir.

The government also revealed that 29,963 certificates under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) have been issued in J&K since April 1, 2023. Of this, 27,420 have been issued in the Jammu region and a mere 2,273 in the Kashmir region.

/IANS