Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, 28, J&K minister of information technology (IT) gave a thumbs up for the joint initiative between Pune-based IT skills training company, Global Talent Track (GTT), and the J&K government to improve employability skills of IT students in Kashmir.
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, 28, Jammu & Kashmir’s (J&K) minister of information technology (IT) gave a thumbs up for the joint initiative between Pune-based IT skills training company, Global Talent Track (GTT), and the J&K government to improve employability skills of IT students in Kashmir.
Ruhullah, the youngest minister in J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah’s cabinet, was in Pune on Monday to meet the 30 computer science post-graduate girl students from the University of Kashmir who concluded their two-month GTT coordinated industry exposure-cum-training tour of Pune on Monday.
GTT Pune is enhancing the job skills of 300 computer science students of the University of Kashmir since October 2010, as reported by DNA on March 25, through a special laboratory set up in Srinagar and in-house training in Pune.
As many as 33 Kashmiri students (20 boys and 13 girls), who are part of the GTT-J&K government joint initiative, have been offered jobs by leading Pune-based IT companies. The students are expected to start working in Pune from June this year.
Speaking to mediapersons at the GTT office in Pune on Monday, Ruhullah expressed confidence that the Rs2.7-crore pilot project was sure to succeed. He said, “I interacted with the Kashmiri girls this morning and was very impressed by their confidence levels. Many of them are keen to come and work in Pune. The exposure to the Pune IT industry has made a big difference to their lives.”
Ruhullah said the initiative would be extended to other universities in J&K: the Islamic University, the Jammu University and the Mata Vaishno Devi University.
According to Ruhullah, though J&K produced 5,000 IT professionals every year, the state did not have an IT policy, neither did they have IT companies to employ young graduates. “Our IT graduates are forced to seek jobs outside the state. I will be presenting the first IT draft policy before the J&K cabinet shortly,” Ruhullah said.
Ruhullah, a second-time National Conference member of the legislative assembly from Pudgam constituency in Srinagar, said he had identified a piece of land near Srinagar airport where J&K’s first IT park could be set up.
Ruhullah is in favour of inviting IT companies under the private-public-partnership model to set up shop in Srinagar, but was candid enough to admit that IT companies would not come unless there was peace on the ground.
He said the National Conference-led coalition was very serious about establishing peace in the state and was taking appropriate steps in that direction.
“When we arrested stone pelting protesters recently, we did not jail them. Instead, we counselled them and urged them to follow the path of peace. Some listened to us, while some others driven by money and passion refused to relent.”
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