Friday, March 29News and updates from Kashmir

EDUCATION

Government schools in JK shrink by 19 per cent

Government schools in JK shrink by 19 per cent

EDUCATION
Due to the zero or low enrolment of students in government schools, the total number of public schools in Jammu Kashmir has decreased by nearly 19 percent. Senior officials from the department informed the news agency KNO, “We had some government schools with very low student enrolment, some even with fewer than five students. We merged them with nearby government schools.” They also mentioned that these schools were previously listed separately on UDISE. “Previously, we had 23,117 government schools according to UDISE, but in the updated database, there are only 18,820 schools.” “We had almost 4,300 government schools with fewer than five or zero student enrolments,” the official stated, clarifying that there are no longer any government schools with zero enrolment. “In recent...
Gender equality in Jammu Kashmir higher education surpasses national average

Gender equality in Jammu Kashmir higher education surpasses national average

EDUCATION
In Jammu Kashmir, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) in higher educational institutes for 18-23-year-old students surpasses the national average, as per official data., The national average GPI for this age group is 1.05 across all categories, while Jammu Kashmir has a higher GPI of 1.18 across all categories. GPI is a metric used to gauge gender equality in education access and is monitored by government and international organizations like UNESCO and the United Nations to identify areas requiring intervention to address gender disparities. Among scheduled caste students, Jammu Kashmir’s GPI stands at 1.27, surpassing the national average of 1.7. Similarly, for Scheduled Tribe students in higher education, the GPI is 0.92 in Jammu Kashmir compared to the national average of 1.02. A...
From delayed examination to delayed results, University’s DLL fails to complete 3 year course in time

From delayed examination to delayed results, University’s DLL fails to complete 3 year course in time

EDUCATION
University of Kashmir’s Directorate of Lifelong Learning (DLL) has badly failed to complete the 3 courses of students Bachelors of Vocation in Automotive Technology (B.Voc) and Electronic Media in stipulated time. From delayed examination to delayed results, the students even after the expiry of 4 years have yet to appear in their last 6th semester examination and have been waiting impatiently for the results of their 5th semester examination since May this year. The callous attitude of the Directorate of Lifelong Learning has added to the hardships of scores of students who have been roaming from pillar to post to be herd but all in vain. A number of students told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the courses were started under Deen Dayal Upadhyay (Kaushal) Kendra in 2019, how...
Senior lecturer rips off female student’s hijab in Kashmir school

Senior lecturer rips off female student’s hijab in Kashmir school

EDUCATION
In a shameful incident in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, a a senior lecturer finds himself entangled in a legal predicament, as he faces allegations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. This comes in the wake of an incident where the lecturer allegedly tore a 12th-grade student's hijab during a classroom session. This incident has sent shockwave across Kashmir and reignited discussions about the safety and well-being of students within the educational system. The Kashmiriyat has learned in this matter, that the senior lecturer is accused of harassing the student by forcibly removing her hijab in front of her peers after having issued threats, cautioning against wearing the hijab. Official sources, quoted by a news agency, Kashmir Despatch, ver...
DBU fraud: Indian Nursing Council asks for withdrawal of recognition granted to university

DBU fraud: Indian Nursing Council asks for withdrawal of recognition granted to university

EDUCATION, REGIONAL
After serious allegations against Desh Bhagat University, the Indian Nursing Council has requested the Medical Education and Research Department, GoP, to withdraw the recognition granted to DBU and adjust the affected students in approved colleges. A letter, a copy of which lies with The Kashmiriyat, Joint Secretary of Indian Nursing Council has written to Principal Secretary of Department of Medical Education & Research, Government of Punjab, that “Please refer to the order dated 20.09.2023 issued against the Desh Bhagat University on the subject of allegations of malpractice on the part of Desh Bhagat University in running the nursing courses.” “It is noted that the Desh Bhagat University ("University") has been repeatedly found to be involved in malpractice in running the nurs...
UP: Kashmiri students sent back home after protest by locals against their admission

UP: Kashmiri students sent back home after protest by locals against their admission

EDUCATION
A group of 18 male students from Jammu Kashmir, who had recently enrolled at a branch of Navodaya Vidyalaya (NV) in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a national integration program, were sent back to their home region after a local student protest, as reported by The Indian Express. These Kashmiri students had been residing in the NV hostel in Jhansi. Under the same program, 20 students from NV Jhansi had been sent to Kashmir in August and had been accommodated in the NV hostel in Rajouri. However, tensions arose when the Jhansi students claimed that their schoolmates in Rajouri had faced physical altercations following a dispute. According to school authorities, local students surrounded the hostel where the Kashmiri students were staying and demanded their relocation. School sta...
School timings changed for Srinagar

School timings changed for Srinagar

EDUCATION
The Directorate of School Education today notified fresh timing for schools in Srinagar Municipal limits. “In supersession of previous orders, it is hereby ordered that all the Government and private recognized schools within the municipal limits of Srinagar city shall observe school timings from 09:00 am to 03:00 pm, with effect from 01-10-23” reads the order, a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir Scroll
AMU Student leader Farhan Zuberi arrested

AMU Student leader Farhan Zuberi arrested

EDUCATION
Farhan Zuberi, a doctoral fellow at Aligarh Muslim University and a former prominent student union leader known for his involvement in protests against Hindu nationalist policies, was arrested by the UP Police on Friday. Late on Friday night, the police entered the campus of Aligarh Muslim University to apprehend AMU student Zaid Sherwani, who was accused in an FIR on charges of 120B. However, the police presence sparked protests by university students, during which Zaid Sherwani managed to escape, according to the police. Based on a viral video from the protest, a case was filed against seven students, including the main accused Farhan. Six people from this group were subsequently arrested, while a non-bailable warrant was issued against Farhan Zubairi by the court. Later in the nig...
Over 2600 teachers in J-K have qualifications below secondary level

Over 2600 teachers in J-K have qualifications below secondary level

EDUCATION
In Jammu and Kashmir, more than 2600 teachers possess qualifications below the secondary level and instruct students across all tiers. Notably, among this group, over 1700 teachers are responsible for guiding primary-level classes. As per the news agency KNO, official data discloses that a total of 2685 teachers with qualifications below the secondary level are engaged in teaching students across various levels. The data further reveals that within the pre-primary educational tier across Jammu and Kashmir, at least 276 such teachers are involved in instructing students. Furthermore, it is indicated that more than 66 percent of these teachers, amounting to 1773 individuals, are engaged in teaching students at the primary level. Official statistics say that 540 teachers operate at the ...
Middle School in Kulgam functions from three rooms; students suffer

Middle School in Kulgam functions from three rooms; students suffer

EDUCATION
Danishwar Hameed Strange it may sound but true is the fact that Government Middle School (GMS) in Oriel Kund area of Devser in South Kashmir’s kulgam district is functioning in a three room structure. The primary School that was established in the 1961 and later upgraded to middle school on 2005, still lacks basic infrastructure due to which the students are facing many difficulties. The school has an enrolment of about 155 students who are crammed into three rooms, exposing the standards of the department. “The school lacks every basic facility and has no facets to be called as an educational institution as there is no accommodation and other facilities,” locals of the area said. As per locals, the basic issue is that despite the passage of about a decade since upgrading, the...