Prakash Singh Dadwal

Prakash Singh Dadwal completed his matriculation education at Govt. Higher Secondary school, Atholi Paddar, and twelfth grade from Higher Secondary School, Kishtwar. He completed diploma in civil engineering from Government Polytechnic Kishtwar and graduated from Indira Gandhi National Open University.[2]

Prakash Singh Dadwal's first exposure to student politics was in November 2012 at Government Polytechnic College in Kishtwar, his first political assignment was the Coordinator of NSUI G P College Kishtwar.[3] He was deeply involved in student politics from the earliest stage, as a student leader, he led protest against non availability of staff, facilities and other requisite infrastructure in the newly established Polytechnic College at Kishtwar as a result of which police party use force to disperse the agitating students and seven students got injured.[4] He was elected General Secretary at G P College Kishtwar and later contested election for the post of District President of NSUI Kishtwar and won the post of District President by the organizational election in State President NSUI Jammu and Kashmir Neeraj Kundan's committee in 2014. He later on 2015, was appointed as the State Social Media Coordinator of NSUI in J&K. In October 2018, he was appointed as State Vice President of NSUI Jammu and Kashmir by National President NSUI Fairoz Khan.[5][6][1] He along with whole NSUI J&K team was called by Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath, New Delhi in order to facilitate the newly elected office bearers. While congratulating them, Sonia Gandhi asked them to work with dedication and propagate the programme and policies of congress party among masses.[7][8] He started to work for student community with zeal and zest by demanded ITI College and Govt. Degree College for Paddar[9] and put forward the demand of subject combination in the university campus of Kishtwar.[10] Dadwal hold several meetings and organises several programmes in favour of student's welfare including Right to Education Act, college fees and examination problems to the students.[11][12]

He is also behind launching the e-governance concept among the students by launching a website at Kishtwar.[13] Angry over party management, he raised the voice for resignation of party leaders from Indian National Congress and demanded that reason should be spelled out for such a trend.[14] He organizes many help desk for helping students,[15][16] and addressing an organisational meeting Dadwal said that NSUI will always fight for the protection of student rights and highlight their problems.[17] He takes active part in the campaign of congress party during parliamentary elections in 2014 in favour of Ghulam Nabi Azad and aware people about programme and policies of congress party for the welfare and benefit of common people of the country.[18] Becoming the first student leader in Jammu and Kashmir who spoke for the need of Right to Accommodation for J&K students[19] and stands for sanctioning scholarship to Kishtwar students by demanding with scholarship stationery items should also be provided to students.[20][21]

Dadwal plays active role in spreading the message of Mahatma Gandhi to follow the path of non violence and he believed that all the violence in the country is due to political parties for their personal benefits.[22]

Kishtwar Catalog Computer Institute was the institute that provides computer education to the students. The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MOMA) had provided scholarship of Rs 15,700 each in favor of the trainees, after which the head of the institution had directed the trainees to open an account in Punjab National Bank and submit the ATM card to him. Trainees alleged that head of Institution had himself withdrawn the sanctioned amount from their accounts through ATM without their knowledge and they got the information about the withdrawal of money from their accounts through SMS alerts on their phones. When the trainees inquired from institute owner about withdrawal of amount from their bank accounts, he refused to return the withdrawn amount which was nearly 1.2 million.[23][24]

Almost 75 students to whom the fraud was committed by the computer institute, brought the whole matter under the notice of Prakash Singh Dadwal, he at that time was the District President of NSUI in Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. NSUI team registered a complaint in the concerned police station, but when no response came from the administration, NSUI members assembled at Deputy commissioner's office and protested for as long as a weeks and ultimately Deputy commissioner Kishtwar directed SSP Kishtwar to start investigation, after thorough investigation the scam was exposed and consequently one of the head of the institution was booked and Institute was seized.This popularly scam was given a name as Kishtwar Scholarship Scam[25] It was first time when a student wing of any organization exposed a scam of this type.[26]

Dadwal had protested in favor of innocent students Killed in Peshawar Pakistan by terrorists in the form of candlelight march on 18 Dec 2014 in Kishtwar (J&K) Hundred of students participated in the candlelight vigil from Hidyal Chowk to District Development Commissioners office Kishtwar and said to Pakistan that stop breeding and sheltering terrorism as terrorists can never be friends of anyone. It was the first time in the history of Kishtwar that someone initiated a protest against Pakistan by candlelight march.[27]

• On 30 April 2014, Dadwal held a massive protest against Jammu and Kashmir State Board of Technical Education (JKSBOTE) for careless evaluation of answer scripts.[28]
• On 2 July 2014, Dadwal gave full support in dharna for adjustment of unemployed engineers in the Retlee Hydro electric project at Dhrabshalla in District Kishtwar.[29]
• On 12 July 2014, Dadwal led protest against University of Jammu over non-availability of forms on Kishtwar campus and demanded to take necessary action against shopkeepers for the shady dealings of university forms.[30]
• On 14 July 2014, Dadwal led protest against University of Jammu demanded consideration of downloaded examination forms at Kishtwar as well as rollback of increased examination and re-evaluation fee in the University.[31]
• On 18 October 2014, Dadwal gave full support to students of various institutes of Kishtwar including boys and girls higher secondary which are demanding to immediate revoke of orders made by authorities regarding postponed of exams. Hundreds of students along with NSUI activists from different institutes held a strong protest rally from different educational institutes to the District Development Commissioner office not to postpone the exams of Chenab region. Dadwal claimed that government is always treating the students of Chenab valley step motherly and even every decision is taken on the condition based upon Jammu or Kashmir division and Chenab region is always neglected.[32]
• On 9 December 2014, Dadwal along with scores of NSUI activists led a strong protest rally from Government Polytechnic College Kishtwar to the office of District Development Commissioner at Kishtwar District. He spokes at the rally that team of JKSBOTE establishes itself at Kishtwar during examination and cancelled one semester of some students on an illogical reason of mass Copying. He said that board has made business in the form of re-evaluation fees, added that re-evaluation of answer scripts should be free of cost as board is itself responsible for making false result, terming irresponsible authorities to board officials as that time they failed to provide desk for sitting in college.[33]
• On 10 feb 2015, Dadwal along with scores of youths held a protest dharna at Dool in Kishtwar District, demanding revision of passenger fares in view of reduced petroleum prices. Dadwal claimed that consistent fall in petroleum prices has only benefitted transporters and not to the common man, he added that no benefit of global decrease in oil price has been percolated to the common people especially the student fraternity and urged the central government to slash the excise duty and passenger fare so that relief is provided to common man.[34]

Mission Awareness: NSUI Activists providing awareness regarding Right to Education Act at Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Prakash Singh Dadwal organised a two-day signature campaign at Kishtwar in favour of a demand to implement Right to Education Act in Jammu and Kashmir state and then all the signatures are submitted to District Development commissioner in Kishtwar. Hundreds of students from G D C Kishtwar and other institution participated in the signature campaign. He said that RTE act came into effect in whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir, in India education is most efficient weapon to fight against poverty, corruption, cast indifference, and many other things which are hindrance on the path of development of the country and education is only source which can convert population as the main asset of the country.[35] Dadwal visited various villages of Cherji, a very far-flung of District Kishtwar and organised a programme to aware students about Right to Education Act. While addressing to the gathering, he said that Right to Education Act (RTE) is a noble gift given by Congress Government to the students which aims to eradicate illiteracy from our country by providing free and compulsory education to each and every students from age 6 to 14 years and committed to ensure that all children, irrespective of social category have access to education. He further said that implementation of RTE is noble cause for poor students and he will continue the struggle till RTE gets implemented in J&k State.[36]

Dadwal, as a student leader, was praised for his hard work at grass root level in favour of student community in Kishtwar and was awarded as the best District President of NSUI in Jammu and Kashmir for his organizational abilities by Amit Pathania, National Secretary NSUI and in charge of Jammu and Kashmir. Under his leadership NSUI unit Kishtwar adjusted as best team of NSUI in Jammu and Kashmir.[37]

• Indian National Congress
• Indian Youth Congress
• National Students Union of India

• Prakash Singh Dadwal on Facebook
• Prakash Singh Dadwal on Twitter