SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the Kashmir Chapter of the University of Jammu’s Centre for Regional Studies, Culture, Dialects and Emotional Intelligence, an initiative aimed at preserving Jammu and Kashmir’s cultural and linguistic heritage and promoting interdisciplinary research.
Addressing the gathering, Sinha said the Centre would help deepen understanding of the region’s history, cultural traditions, languages and social experiences. He stressed that a region’s identity could not be understood through geography alone, but was shaped by its languages, folklore, arts, faith, customs and collective experiences.
The Lieutenant Governor said the Centre would integrate regional knowledge with emotional intelligence to develop a broader understanding of society and its people.
Its proposed areas of work include the preservation of manuscripts, development of digital archives, linguistic mapping, ethnographic studies, research on pilgrimage and tourism, mountain ecology and local entrepreneurship. The initiative also envisages fellowships for young scholars.
Sinha said these efforts would help preserve the region’s intellectual and linguistic traditions and create a shared repository of knowledge for future generations.
Highlighting the need for such an institution, he identified four key priorities: maintaining a balance between global connectivity and local identity, protecting endangered languages and traditional knowledge systems, adopting interdisciplinary approaches to complex challenges, and recognising the importance of emotional well-being in education.
He said technological advancement should go hand in hand with the preservation of cultural roots and human values.
Referring to the growing role of artificial intelligence and rapid technological change, Sinha said emotional intelligence and technological capabilities complemented each other. He emphasised the need for educational institutions to promote continuous learning, adaptability, ethical awareness and multidisciplinary collaboration.
The Lieutenant Governor said the main Centre at the University of Jammu’s Jammu campus and its Kashmir Chapter could develop into a model for research, cultural preservation and human-centred development, while strengthening the global standing of universities in Jammu and Kashmir.
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.
Srinagar SSP GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, Budgam Deputy Commissioner Jatin Kishore, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Regional Director Shruti Awasthi and other senior civil and police officials were also present.
