“However, I have responded to the respective universities and honourable chancellor (the Lieutenant Governor),” Lal, a scientist of Kashmiri origin whose family founded the organisation, told The Indian Express.
The remarks come days after the Atlanta-based non-profit KCF came into the spotlight after three universities in Kashmir terminated their MoUs with it, prompting it to suspend its activities in Kashmir. The suspension came just as the first batch of interns graduated from a mentorship programme sponsored by the foundation.
Founded in 2024, the organisation aims to “empower” youth of Kashmir through education and mentorship and collaborates with universities to hold mentorship programmes, seminars and webinars for J&K students. While the Lals decided to fund a non-profit, they soon realised that the effort required manpower and that they needed to connect with the Kashmiri diaspora abroad and prominent people back home.
The universities have said that the decision was taken after “review by competent authorities”. “The university reviewed the MoU and found it was not feasible to continue. There was already a clause that was put in place that it can be cancelled any time the university deems fit,” Kashmir University Registrar Naseer Iqbal told The Indian Express.
There has been no official statement from the J&K administration.
The KCF website, down since the MoUs were terminated, talked about how the foundation aims to “equip students and young professionals with knowledge, tools and technology ensuring they stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in pursuit of education and in the workforce as entrepreneurs”.
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The website also said that the foundation, which focused on areas of emerging technologies in STEM and Humanities, including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and societal development, had expanded its network, bringing in acclaimed academicians, scientists and technocrats from diverse fields into its core group. The website shows former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Soumya Swaminathan, and prominent cardiologist Dr U Kaul as part of its advisory council, besides many Kashmiri academicians, scientists and doctors.
Last year, the KCF had an annual meeting in Srinagar, which was attended by Lal and other members such as Dr Kaul. Speaking at the meeting, the cardiologist said, “It (the KCF) is a beacon of hope for us… I have been following its work with great interest, and I’m deeply impressed by its vision, focus on reaching the most vulnerable and providing them quality education.”
One of the interns among its first cohort to graduate earlier this year — including students from different parts of the country — told The Indian Express: “All of us were trained in communication skills and then members were guided and mentored in their specific subject of interest.”
Since the termination of MoUs, the foundation has “suspended all its activities”, removed its social media handles — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn — and put up a message on the landing page of its website saying so. “We will resume operations once the necessary approvals are obtained from the competent authorities,” the message states.
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The founding president, Lal, originally a resident of Khawaja Bazar in Srinagar, did his Bachelor’s in Botany from Kashmir University. In the early 1980s, Lal moved to the United States after completing his doctorate from the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow. After completing his post-doctoral fellowship from the US National Institute of Health, he worked on malaria and other infectious diseases, with his lab running anti-malarial projects in Africa, India and other parts of South Asia.
Lal has also worked as a senior advisor for global health and innovation at Sun Pharmaceutical Industries India, served as director of the US FDA office in India, US Health Attache and Regional representative for South Asia at the US Embassy in India, as well as Chief, Malaria Vaccine Section at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta.
When contacted, former CEC S Y Quraishi called Lal a “very dedicated doctor”. “I know Dr Altaf Lal very well. When he was with the US Department of Health and Human Services, I was working in NACO (National Aids Control Organisation),” Quraishi told The Indian Express. “He requested that I join (as an advisory council member). The cause was of education and of Kashmir, I accepted. I had only joined one meeting.”
