JAMMU, Feb 27 ; Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday inaugurated the two-day Youth Festival, ‘Goonj 2026’, at the University of Jammu (JU), urging students to become “bold innovators” and emphasizing the role of empowered youth in engineering the nation’s future.
Addressing the gathering, the LG asserted that a young population armed with intellectual depth and creative strength is essential for national advancement. “Empowered youth engineers the future and I believe intellectual depth, creative strength and innovative youth leadership is essential for national advancement,” he said.
Sinha stressed that the purpose of education extends beyond the mere acquisition of degrees to the creation of enlightened citizens. “True education prepares youth to forge entirely new answers and solutions that the world has not yet imagined. Students enter campuses not merely for degrees, but to nurture culture, explore new ideas, choose bold paths, and courageously drive societal progress,” he stated.
Acknowledging the rapid pace of global change driven by technological explosion, the Lieutenant Governor called upon the faculty to transform higher education campuses into “manufacturing hubs of new ideas.He urged educators to foster genuine dialogue across disciplines, making every lecture a doorway to new possibilities.
Addressing the students, Sinha encouraged them to embrace innovation and pursue fresh research while staying connected to their cultural roots. “Honor your traditions, respect your past and connect with your roots. This will deepen the profound sense of identity, confidence, and self-awareness that no classroom can ever fully teach,” he advised.
He added that when young people act with courage and unshakeable belief, they open new pathways for societal progress.
The inaugural ceremony also saw the launch of a podcast, “JU Vaachan,” an initiative by the university’s Department of Journalism and Media Studies.
Prominent citizens, including Padma awardees Dr Jitendra Udhampuri, Dr SP Varma, and Romalo Ram, as well as former DGP Ashok Bhan, were present on the occasion. Vice Chancellor Prof. Umesh Rai, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, and other university officials also attended the event. (KNS)
