Govt to take public feedback on restoration of November academic session in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 21: The Minister for Education, Sakina Itoo, stated on Monday that the government will seek public feedback regarding the restoration of the November session in schools across the Kashmir Valley.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Science Congress organized by the Government College for Women, MA Road, Srinagar, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Sakina Itoo mentioned that the department will review the issue.

“We will discuss with all stakeholders whether we should restore the November session. The issue will be put in the public domain, and we will proceed based on the suggestions and feedback we receive,” Sakina Itoo said.

The J&K government shifted the academic session from November to March in 2022, claiming that this move would ensure a uniform academic calendar synchronized with the national academic calendar.

Itoo, who also oversees the portfolios of Higher Education, Health and Medical Education, and Social Welfare, expressed ignorance about the decline in student enrollment in colleges.

“I have no reports regarding the decline in student enrollment. I will discuss this issue with the department during the review meeting,” she stated.

As reported earlier, Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) across J&K have seen a significant decline in admissions at the undergraduate level, posing a major challenge for the J&K government.

Official documents indicate that this decline has occurred over the past few years as students have opted not to pursue their undergraduate courses in these colleges.

In light of this, the Higher Education Department issued an official communication to college principals seeking their suggestions to address this pressing issue.

Meanwhile, Sakina Itoo acknowledged that the situation is challenging, with various difficulties faced by the health, social welfare, and education departments.

“In the last ten years, many changes have occurred, and serious efforts are needed to get everything back on track. We are hopeful that we will succeed in addressing all the issues,” she said, referring to the lack of basic infrastructure in government schools across J&K.

Regarding the issues faced by students enrolled in outside colleges under the PMSSS, the minister stated that she has received reports of some incidents that will be discussed with the department.

“I have already received information about the challenges faced by students enrolled under the PMSSS. I have scheduled a review meeting with the Higher Education Department to examine this issue,” she said.

A few days ago, authorities at Mewar University in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, suspended around 35 Kashmiri students for protesting against the university administration for enrolling them in an unrecognized B.Sc Nursing course.

The suspension order was issued a day after the students staged a protest on campus regarding their enrollment in the unrecognized programme.