SRINAGAR: A response in the Lok Sabha has revealed that the University of Kashmir continues to receive only modest financial support from the central government, in sharp contrast to leading central universities across the country. The data, tabled by the Ministry of Education on Monday, shows that while institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have consistently received hundreds of crores annually, Kashmir University’s annual grant has remained in single digits.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the University of Kashmir received a total of Rs 26.10 crore under various University Grants Commission (UGC) schemes. In comparison, AMU and JNU were granted Rs 7,512.52 crore and Rs 2,537.39 crore respectively during the same period. Even Jadavpur University, a state university like Kashmir University, received marginally higher allocations, totalling Rs 7.38 crore over five years.
For the current financial year 2025-26 (till June 30), Kashmir University has received only Rs 1.66 crore in central assistance, a figure that pales beside the Rs 156.10 crore disbursed to JNU and Rs 409.66 crore to AMU.
From 2020 to 2025, the University of Kashmir received Rs 4.41 crore in 2020–21, Rs 3.62 crore in 2021–22, Rs 4.10 crore in 2022–23, Rs 6.67 crore in 2023–24, and Rs 7.30 crore in 2024–25. For the ongoing financial year 2025–26, the university has received only Rs 1.66 crore till June 30.
The figures come in response to an unstarred question raised by MP Anil Yeshwant Desai, who sought details about grants given to “Universities of Eminence.” While Kashmir University is not part of this elite category—which includes institutions like the University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, and University of Hyderabad—its position as Jammu and Kashmir’s leading state-run higher education institution has raised questions about regional parity in educational funding.
The Ministry clarified that Universities of Eminence, under the ‘World Class Institutions’ scheme, receive additional central funding. None of the universities from Jammu and Kashmir are part of that category.
The Ministry also stated that state public universities like Kashmir University are mainly funded by their respective state governments, with UGC support available under various schemes. Decisions related to tuition fees, lodging, and boarding are autonomously managed by each university’s statutory bodies.
However, with limited central support, the ability of Kashmir University to upgrade its infrastructure, expand research, and match the academic output of better-funded universities remains restricted. The university has long been the academic hub of Jammu and Kashmir, with thousands of students relying on its facilities annually.
As part of the government’s broader expectations, students emerging from these institutions are expected to possess “21st-century skills” and contribute to real-world problem-solving, innovation, and inclusive development. But in regions like Kashmir, where universities are already grappling with fund shortages and sociopolitical instability, the gap between expectations and resources continues to grow.
