Kashmir University in dock over shifting Private B.Ed exams to January

Srinagar, Nov 3: The students enrolled in different private B.Ed colleges rue the arbitrary decision of the Kashmir University (KU) for not holding their semester exams with the other students pursuing the course through distance mode or in regular mode through the Government B.Ed college.

The semester exam for the students enrolled through distance mode and at the Government College of Education (IASE) Srinagar commenced from November 3, 2025.

The B.Ed students of private colleges stated that the Dean of the College Development Council (DCDC) at KU conducted surprise inspections in June and July and found many students absent from classes.

"Aghast with the thin attendance of the students, the Dean decided to cancel the admission of the students found absent on the day of inspection," the students told Greater Kashmir.

The students said the college authorities conveyed to the Dean that students regularly attend the classes and it was not mandatory to have 100 percent attendance on the day of inspection.

"After the passage of a few months, the Colleges agreed to it and gave a last chance to the students found absent during inspection," the students said.

According to the students, a condition was set that they will submit an affidavit signed by the first class magistrate that they will regularly attend the classes till exams are held by the University.

"Despite submitting the affidavit to the Dean and attending the college regularly. The exam link was not made operational for students of private colleges as the Dean said he will not allow us to appear in the exam," the students told Greater Kashmir.

Surprisingly, KU has not only barred the students found absent during inspection but other students of private colleges as well.

"It came as a surprise to us because if some students were found absent on the day of inspection, it makes no sense to bar other students from appearing in the exam," a group of students said.

While the semester exam for distance mode students and those enrolled in government B.Ed college, the students of private colleges have been left to fend for themselves.

"We were informed that our exam will be either held in the last week of December this year or in the first week of January next year. But the decision is arbitrarily taken by the KU authorities. It will be difficult for the students to write the exams in January," the students complained.

Dean College Development Council (DCDC) Prof Khursheed Ahmad Butt said the students in private B.Ed colleges were not regularly attending the classes.

"The students found absent were given a chance for restoration of admission if they submit an undertaking to us. But the students did not submit the affidavit till late October due to which we could not allow them in exams," Prof Butt told Greater Kashmir.

He said that as per the statutory binding, the duration of a semester must be of 16 weeks. "But they did not qualify for it as they did not submit the affidavit on time. So as a special case we  asked them to continue classes for some time to meet the statutory requirements," he said.

DCDC KU said once the exams will be held in December or January, the exam centres of students from Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and outside states will be set up in Jammu to avoid inconvenience to them.

"This action (to cancel the admission) was taken to restore the sanctity of the academics in this course. We are hopeful that the students will now attend classes regularly," Prof Butt said.