In its endeavour to make the campus vehicle-free zone, authorities at Kashmir University (KU) have restricted parking of vehicles in the varsity.
The order in this regard has been issued by Registrar Kashmir University in view of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) inspection of the varsity from Wednesday. Teachers and students have hailed the initiative and want it to be implemented in letter and spirit.
As per the order, the varsity administration has designated parking places at Sir Syed Gate, Convocation Complex, Rumi Gate and Zainul Abidin gate. The order came into effect from May 1.
“In no case shall anyone park his vehicle at any locations other than designated parking places,” reads the KU order. The teaching and non-teaching faculty has termed the move as environment friendly citing that it will reduce chances of in-campus accidents. “It is a good decision and will enable greater socialising between employees who will have to walk or ferried in varsity buses to their departments,” said a KU faculty member. The stakeholders want the practice to continue beyond NAAC visit.
As per the order, the VVIP gate near convocation complex shall remain open to facilitate entry of exit of staff vehicles parked near the complex.“Bicycles and batteries operated vehicles and University passenger buses will be kept available at main gate to facilitate ferrying of students, staff and other visitors to respective destinations within the campus,” reads the order.
President Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) Prof Muheet said they have already convened several meetings with the university administration regarding the issue and proposed to make KU a green campus.
“This initiative is a part of that proposal, we are working out modalities to use the all parking places of the varsity so that no vehicle remains parked on roads within the campus,” Prof Muheet said.
He said the varsity has no dearth of parking places but the space needs to be regulated which, he said, can be done with the cooperation from teachers and students in the University.
The NAAC peer team which has arrived on Wednesday is scheduled to inspect the KU campus to assess its infrastructural and academic standards on basis of which the NAAC accreditation of the varsity will be renewed.
Earlier in 2012 KU was given ‘A’ rank by NAAC peer team after they visited the varsity. The accreditation expired in May 2016. NAAC is an organization that assesses and accredits higher education institutions in India. It was formed after recommendations from National Policy on education (1986), which laid emphasis on upholding the quality of higher education in India. An institution accredited by NAAC signifies that it has met certain standards of excellence across its operations. Apart from making educational institution eligible to grants from government of India there are major benefits for students as well.
