The Higher Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has recorded an 18 per cent increase in first-year admissions this year, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said in the Legislative Assembly.

The increase comes even as several newly established degree colleges face problems with permanent campuses and low student enrolment.

Itoo said land disputes have delayed construction of permanent buildings at some colleges, with residents divided over proposed sites. “If the land is given to us tomorrow, we will make the college as soon as possible,” Itoo said, asking concerned MLAs to help resolve the disputes.

She also said some new colleges were seeing a lukewarm response from students, who continued to prefer established “legacy colleges”.

The government has introduced subjects including tourism, music and horticulture at some new institutions. However, Itoo said several of these courses had not attracted enough students. “We don’t want the same old subjects to be taught. New subjects should be introduced. Our aim is to equip students with skills that could improve their employment prospects,” she said.

At the same time, the minister said the government could not continue staffing courses where there was little or no student demand. “But if there are no students, we can't make the assistant professor or other faculty members sit in the classroom with no one to be taught,” she said.

Itoo said courses would be introduced based on student demand. “If students come and their percentage is good in any subject, we will introduce such courses,” she said.