J&K’s education sector writes a new chapter of progress, challenges

Srinagar, Dec 29: The year 2024 proved to be a landmark for Jammu and Kashmir’s education sector, defined by bold reforms, critical challenges, and remarkable milestones.

From schools to universities, the year saw significant shifts in policies and priorities, reshaping the region’s academic landscape.

At the school level, the government’s decision to restore the November session brought both nostalgia and logistical hurdles, with students in junior classes navigating two annual exams in a single year. Meanwhile, recruitment efforts in the School Education Department (SED), including the long-awaited advertisement for 575 lecturer posts, offered a glimmer of hope for addressing long-standing faculty shortages.

In higher education, a steep decline in college admissions raised red flags, prompting fresh strategies to boost enrollment.

At the same time, universities oscillated between setbacks and achievements while the University of Kashmir (KU) slipped in national rankings, University of Jammu (JU) climbed the NIRF ladder and secured a historic NAAC A grading.

Other institutions, like Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), showcased growth in research and innovation, underscoring the evolving academic aspirations of the region.

As the schools reopened in March 2024, post winter vacations, the students from all the classes appeared in their annual (2023) examination and later joined their new classes in April.

On October 30 of 2024, the J&K Chief Minister along with the Education Minister announced the restoration of the November session for schools up to class 9th from the current academic session.

The announcement was followed by the issuance of a formal order to restore the previous November examination session in the schools. In wake of this a uniform date sheet was notified by the Directorate of the School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and the students appeared in their annual exams (assessment) as the November session. With the restoration of the November session, the junior class students appeared in annual exams of two classes in one year.

Besides a ‘major decline’ in the admissions in the Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) across J&K, the year 2024 marked the completion of the three years of the first NEP-2020 Batch and the students will enter in their 4th year in 2025. As per the NEP, the colleges have to ensure the research and internship of the students in their 4th year. However it remains to be seen if the colleges will be able to ensure the two important aspects because colleges are not well equipped in terms of faculty and equipment.

At the University level, some major decisions were taken by the J&K government in which two sitting Vice Chancellors got extension of two years while the VC Jammu University was re-appointed for a tenure of three years.

The incumbent VC of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) was given an extension of two years in July 2024. He was appointed as VC of IUST in 2021 as the fourth Vice Chancellor.

In another development, the term of incumbent Vice Chancellor of the SKUAST-Kashmir Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganaie was extended for two years. The order for extension came into effect from December 16 of 2024, the date of completion of his existing three year term.

Also, the incumbent VC of the Jammu University Prof. Umesh Rai was re-appointed as the VC for three years with effect from April 5 of 2025.

The year 2024 also saw the appointment of new VCs in two universities. Senior Professor in the Institute of Management in Keralain University of Kerala Prof K S Chandrasekar was appointed as the VC of Cluster University (CU) Jammu while Prof Jawaid Iqbal, Professor, Department of West Asian and North African Studies, Aligarh Muslim University was appointed as the new VC of BGSBU, Rajouri.

Besides administrative decisions, the universities in 2024 witnessed some achievements and challenges as well.

The Kashmir University slipped by 12 notches in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 announced in August 2024. The varsity slipped to 45th rank among universities assessed across the country from 33rd in NIRF 2023, indicating a noticeable decline, though it figured among the top 50 universities.

Contrary to it, Jammu University (JU) went up by at least 13 slots to figure at rank 50 from the 2023 rank of 63 in the NIRF ranking.

Also, the JU was awarded A grade with Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.72 in the recent reaccreditation cycle by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), creating a history in Jammu and Kashmir for being awarded NAAC A Grade.

The IUST Awantipora, achieved remarkable growth in admissions during the 2024 session with a significant increase by 30 percent as compared to the previous year (2023). The university also secured an aggregated financial support of Rs 13 crores in 2024 under the DPIIT Start-up India Fund Scheme, the DST NIDHI i-TBI initiative, and the CIED-IUST Seed Fund. IUST was given a 4-star ranking by the Indian Innovation Council.

IUST published 335 research papers indexed in globally recognized databases, Scopus and Web of Science in 2024. The IUST's research excellence is reflected in its impressive h-index, which stands at 59 on Scopus and 44 on Web of Science.

In 2024, the SKUAST-Kashmir doubled its undergraduate programs, expanding from seven courses in 2018 to 13 courses in 2024. Under the Mission Skill, SKUAST-K conducted 650 Skill Development Programs in 2024 as compared to 550 programs in 2024.

As 2024 concludes, the duality of progress and challenges across Jammu and Kashmir’s education sector sets the stage for a critical year ahead, where the outcomes of these pivotal reforms will begin to unfold.