Jammu:
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday said the position of a governor in the country is that of a weak person who cannot hold a press conference or talk his heart out.
He also reiterated his statement that the country’s rich and affluent are like “rotten potatoes” because they do not give charity and come forward to help improve its education system.
“A governor is used to be a weak entity. He does not have the right to hold a press conference or talk his heart out I keep worrying for three days if someone in Delhi got angry with me after my lecture,” Malik said, addressing the 7th convocation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra town of Reasi district.
Pointing towards students, the governor said he gets energy to speak out from them.
He said the country is lacking in quality education and the money which is needed for development of universities and infrastructure is nowhere.
“We have affluent people in the country who are spending Rs 300 crore over the engagement (of their children) but will not come forward with a single penny to help universities to build infrastructure,” the governor lamented.
Malik said it is because they do not have the habit of giving charities.
“They can live in 14-storied houses but will not spend a single penny on the education of the children of the country. The people used to take their names with honour and politicians rush to shake hands with them.
“I, however, call them ‘rotten potatoes’ because they lack humanity and responsibility towards the nation,” he said urging the rich and affluent to come forward and help improve the education sector in the country.
Talking of his administration’s contribution in improving education system in the state, he said, “This year we got eight medical colleges and I will leave with a promise that a medical university will be there next year.”
He said his administration has sanctioned 52 degree colleges in different areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including Ladakh, while 50 more colleges, including professional colleges, are in the pipeline.
Lauding Kashmiri students as hardworking and intelligent, he said, “They are second to none, and given a proper infrastructure, they can excel in any field.”
Malik said he is available to students and other people round-the-clock and is meeting them without prior appointments.
“Recently a student informed me that he and his six friends from Kashmir have missed to fulfil admission formalities in Jamia Millia Islamia due to snapping of internet services. I intervened and all of them got admission,” he said. Malik said during his posting as governor of Bihar, the cheating and copying during examinations was controlled to a large extent.
“You cannot match the cheating techniques in Bihar… But I intervened and made sure there is no cheating or copying during examinations,” he said.
