Jammu: Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has assured a delegation of the Jammu Central University Morcha, an amalgam of pro-Jammu parties that the Central University of Jammu shall start functioning from the present semester. The minister also told the delegation that a new panel of select academicians for the post of Vice-Chancellor of the university was sent to the President a week ago.

This was disclosed by Rajinder Singh Jamwal of the Peoples' Revolutionary Movement (PRM) here this evening. He said a morcha delegation met Sibal on July 18 and asked him to take steps to make the Central university functional this year. The delegation urged Sibal that since two academic years had already been wasted after the university was announced in 2009, the delay in the appointment of its Vice-Chancellor had jeopardised the careers of the youth of Jammu, said Jamwal.

He further added that they have also requested the minister that the Vice-Chancellor be appointed from among competent academicians belonging to the Jammu province so that the university could be established at the earliest.

Jamwal, however, replied to a question that the morcha, in tandem with the people, social organizations and students, would continue its struggle till its goal was achieved.