STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday met a delegation of about 250 school children belonging to all districts of Jammu & Kashmir, who are currently on a visit here.
These students are visiting Jaipur, Ajmer and New Delhi under ‘Watan Ko Jano – Youth Exchange Programme 2023’ of Government of India.
In the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, the visit is aimed at showcasing the cultural and social diversity of the country to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Jitendra told the young students that they are destined to be the architects of 2047 and that this is one of the best times happening for India as also a new beginning for Jammu & Kashmir.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra said, the picturesque region of Jammu & Kashmir has undergone a remarkable transformation.
“Stone pelting incidents are a thing of the past. Today, Jammu & Kashmir makes headlines more for stories of sporting achievements,” he said.
“Cricketers from J&K like Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, Parvaiz Rasool and Manzoor Pandav represent in the IPL. Wushu players Surya Bhanu Partap Singh and Abhishek Jamwal brought laurels to the country in the recent Moscow Championships. In 2022, a Kashmiri skier, Arif Khan, carried India’s National Flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” he said, adding, “Girls in Kashmir also participate in sports at par with boys. Earlier this year. 16-year-old Sheetal Devi, hailing from Loidhar village in Kishtwar, is the ‘first female archer without arms to compete internationally’. At the Asian Para Games, she claimed not one but three medals, including a gold, in different categories.” Dr Jitendra said, this shift can be attributed to various factors, including increased administrative support, improved infrastructure, and a growing priority to youth.
Citing the stupendous success of Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution in J&K, Dr Jitendra Singh encouraged the school children to also look for opportunities outside government job.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who represents Udhampur Constituency of J&K in the Lok Sabha, said the discovery of Lithium in Reasi district may well turn out to be “India’s next big story”, giving a multifold boost to the country’s economy.
“Analysis suggests that the value of Lithium deposits in Reasi may be higher than China,” he said, stating that Lithium is a key component in rechargeable batteries and there is huge demand for Lithium as the world turns to renewable energy.
Stating that an increasing number of items from J&K have been geo-tagged, Dr Jitendra said it will help promote sales of GI-tagged products from the UT to boost the local economy.
Dr Jitendra appealed to the students to be catalysts of PM Modi’s reforms and help their effective implementation in J&K.
The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the unexplored North-Eastern Region (NER) have huge natural resources that would drive India’s future growth story during the Amrit Kaal towards attaining a ViksitBharat @ 2047, he said. During the interaction, the students brought out particular instances of lack of development in their regions in the state and how things are now beginning to change for the better.