ABOUT US

Established in 2011 as an autonomous, premier national Think Tank dedicated to the in-depth study, research, and documentation of Jammu and Kashmir in its entirety.

A Dedicated Platform for Truth & Sustainable Growth

Over the years, Jammu Kashmir Study Centre (JKSC) has evolved into a prominent platform for informed discussions on Jammu and Kashmir. What started with a focus on internal political and security issues has grown to include regional socio-economic development, governance, and global geopolitics surrounding the region. With 15 branches, 25 activity centres, and various collaborated institutions in India, JKSC has made significant strides in establishing itself as a key player in shaping the developmental and welfare initiatives of Jammu and Kashmir. Through collaborations with academic institutions and policymakers, JKSC continues to work towards a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Jammu and Kashmir.

Our Leaders, Patrons & Fellows

Sh. Jawahar Lal Kaul

Jawaharlal Kaul (Padma Shri, 2016) Born in 1937 in Skardu, Jammu & Kashmir, Jawaharlal Kaul experienced the turmoil of partition and the invasion of Kashmir at a young age. Forced to flee to Srinagar at age ten, he grew up amidst hardship, which shaped his worldview. Initially drawn to leftist politics, he later moved to Delhi to pursue journalism, joining Dinmaan of The Times of India group. His reporting focused on issues like environmental degradation, disasters, and social challenges, reflecting his own experiences of struggle. Kaul has been closely associated with the Centre for Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir Studies and was honored with the Padma Shri in 2016.

Prof. Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri

Dr. Kuldeep Chand Agnihotri is an educator, journalist, and social worker with degrees from prestigious institutions like Panjab University. He has served as principal, director, and professor at various educational institutions in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Alongside teaching, he practiced law and played active roles in organizations like the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. A vocal critic of the Emergency, he was imprisoned for his opposition. Agnihotri is currently a national leader of Sikh and Tibet support organizations, author of fifteen books, a traveler, and former Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh.

Prof. Kashi Nath Pandita

Prof. Sh. K. N. Pandita graduated from a Missionary College in his hometown of Baramulla, Kashmir. After obtaining a Master’s Degree in History from Punjab University, he studied at the University of Tehran, Iran and obtained a Ph.D. in Iranian and Central Asian Studies. He served at the University of Kashmir at the Centre for Central Asian Studies and rose to become its director. Dr. Pandita has traveled widely in Central Asia, particularly the Republic of Tajikistan, and was made an Honorary Member of Payvand, the Tajik State Cultural Organization. He has about ten books to his credit, including a travelogue of Tajikistan titled My Tajik Friends translated into Russian by the Tajik Academy of Sciences. A dedicated human rights activist, he has attended many sessions of the UNHRC and made over two dozen interventions. He is the President of the Asian-Eurasian Human Rights Forum (ECOSOC special status). Dr. Pandita was awarded the President’s Certificate of Merit in 1994, the Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1986, the Sa’adi Award in 2015 by the Iranian Embassy, and the Padma Shri in 2017.

Prof. K.L Bhatia

Professor Dr. K. L. Bhatia (B.A. Hons. J&K; LL.M., Ph.D. Pune) is a senior Professor of Law, former Head & Dean of the Faculty of Law, and founder Director of The Law School at the University of Jammu. He has also served as Director at Amity Law School, and Dean and Professor Emeritus at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. With four decades of teaching and research experience, he has authored and edited fifteen books and published nearly one hundred research papers in leading legal journals across India and abroad. His areas of expertise encompass Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Human Rights, and Legal Research Methodology. He has delivered extension lectures as a Visiting Professor at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi, and in Africa on International Trade and Economic Law. Prof. Bhatia is a recipient of ICSSR, UGC, J&K State, UN, and ILO Human Rights fellowships, and is an honored DAAD and Max-Planck Fellow.

Er. Daya Sagar

Daya Sagar, an engineer by profession (Postgraduate Degree 1971), is a senior freelance scribe and researcher whose immediate focus has always remained on the socio-political affairs concerning the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. Closely associated with senior administrators, academicians, and social activists, he writes extensively on governance, regional economy, human rights, and constitutional history. He has to his credit nearly 1,000 published articles and 7 seminal books, including J&K Affairs: Mishandled-Misquoted-Miscarried, Jammu and Kashmir State: 1947 Accession, and Real Face of Article 370 of Constitution of India. In the 1990s, he pioneered the concept of Social Audits through Group Research to ensure transparency in welfare programmes for the underprivileged.

Justice (Retd.) G. D Sharma

Justice (Retd.) G. D. Sharma is a former Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and a renowned constitutional jurist celebrated for his judicial independence, integrity, and profound scholarship on Himalayan borderland jurisprudence. In March 2020, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir appointed him as Chairman of the High-Powered Jammu and Kashmir Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission. Under his leadership, the Commission conducted comprehensive regional reviews and delivered landmark recommendations to rationalize reservation policies, safeguarding constitutional rights and expanding socio-economic opportunities for underrepresented border and tribal communities.