Ranchi: Governor Droupadi Murmu and chief minister Raghubar Das on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Rs 206.54-crore permanent campus of Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University (JRSU) at Knowledge City in Khunti, around 50km from here.
The varsity, the third such institution after Gujarat and Rajasthan, currently functions from the two-storey judicial academy building near the Administrative Training Institute in the state capital.
The new campus, spread over 75 acres, would have administrative buildings, classrooms, hostels, laboratory and other facilities and can accommodate 3,000 students, teachers and staff. It is likely to start functioning from 2020.
The function was also attended by rural development minister Neelkanth Singh Munda, education and skill development minister Neera Yadav, JRSU vice chancellor Ajoy Kumar Singh, who is also the secretary of higher and technical education department, and chief secretary Rajbala Verma.
JRSU offers master's degree in criminology, PG diploma in industrial security, B.Sc in forensic science, computer application and cyber security and diploma in police science. In all, 180 students are enrolled in the current batch.
Speaking on the occasion, Das said primary and higher education in the state were witnessing a sea change for the last three years. "The government had allocated Rs 10,577 crore this fiscal for education. In addition, it had separately earmarked Rs 700 crore for skill development and training programmes," he said.
Stating that the government was planning to set up 53 more colleges, Das said construction of nine institutes had already begun in different districts. Currently, Jharkhand has 347 colleges.
"Our government is also planning to roll out five more universities. In Khunti, we are thinking to launch a skill university for technical and professional courses," he said.
"JRSU was a major leap in higher education and would help students get jobs. We have already amended the police recruitment rule and would give preference to those passing out from the university," said Das.
"At least four industrial units in Jharkhand have requested the government to provide industrial security forces. But due to lack of trained manpower, the units depend on Central Industrial Security Force. JRSU is offering a course in industrial security," he added.
Das also announced an engineering college in Khunti. "Khunti could be a potential hub of American corn farming and the government might consider setting up a food processing unit there," he said.
Das also announced that the government was planning to organise an international conclave on food processing in Jharkhand in February.
