The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar will inaugurate the NIT-Srinagar Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics (NSOAA) on September 22, making it the first NIT in India with a dedicated campus-based observatory.^[2][4] The observatory's centrepiece is a 14-inch Celestron C14 EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on a computerised equatorial mount, according to an NIT-Srinagar spokesperson. The system carries planetary and cooled deep-sky cameras, LRGB filters, a 2.5x Barlow lens and high-speed imaging capability for observing the Moon, planets, nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies.^[1] Officials said the 14-inch aplanatic design delivers aberration-free, flat-field images for astrophotography and planetary observation.^[6] Professor Prince Ahmad Ganai, head of the Department of Physics and project leader, said the observatory is meant to move students beyond theoretical learning into direct observation, data work and scientific inquiry, serving as a centre for experiential science education, astrophotography, student training and outreach.^[3] He said NSOAA could become a regional hub linking schools, colleges and universities across Jammu and Kashmir with modern astronomy, and that NIT-Srinagar is considering a hands-on course on astronomy and astrophysics in the coming months, with special sessions for educational institutions in the Kashmir Valley.^[5]