EDUCATION

India recorded a total of 43,268,181 students enrolled in higher education during 2021-22, with 2,108,033 Muslim students making up only 4.87% of the total enrolment. This marks a decline from the previous years when the enrolment stood at 5.24% in 2019 and 5.5% in 2020, before falling to 4.6% in 2021. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) across the country averages at 24.1, reflecting moderate access to higher education. Jammu Kashmir, now a Union Territory, stands out for its higher participation rates in higher education, likely due to its Muslim-majority population. Out of 400,423 total students, 138,142 are Muslims, constituting 34.5% of the total enrolment. This reflects the region's significant Muslim representation in higher education institutions. With a GER of 24.8, the region showc...

The School Education Department has issued a circular prohibiting government school teaching staff, including lecturers, masters, and teachers, from conducting private tuitions or working in private institutions and coaching centers. According to the circular, a copy of which lies with the news agency JKNS all Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) and Heads of Institutions (HOIs) must certify that no teaching personnel under their supervision are involved in unauthorized private coaching. Violators will face strict disciplinary action as it constitutes a breach of the Jammu & Kashmir Employees Service Conduct Rules, 1971. It reads as, zonal-level monitoring committees, established earlier, have been instructed to enforce these guidelines rigorously and report any violations prom...

The Transport Commissioner of Jammu Kashmir, Vishesh Mahajan, convened a meeting with school authorities on Monday to discuss the safety audit of vehicles ferrying students. The meeting emphasized the need for active cooperation to ensure that all school transport vehicles adhere to safety standards. A spokesperson, in a statement issued to the press, cited Supreme Court guidelines for school buses and announced January 31 as the deadline for installing CCTV cameras in all school buses. The cameras are intended to monitor driver and staff activities to enhance student safety. School authorities were also instructed to install functional speed governors limiting speed to 40 km/h. Any bus found violating safety norms, such as overloading or speeding, will be seized immediately. ...

Faculty members in Jammu Kashmir’s higher education institutions have voiced serious concerns over systemic issues hampering their work and the overall functioning of the education sector. One of the pressing issues highlighted is the prolonged delay in faculty placements and promotions, with some educators waiting for years despite fulfilling the necessary criteria. These delays, they say, not only demoralize the staff but also disrupt institutional efficiency. Concerns have also been raised about the lack of transparency in the process, with the misuse of vigilance clearances being cited as a key factor contributing to unnecessary delays. Another critical challenge is the absence of principals in many degree colleges, leaving these institutions without adequate leadership. ...

The Government of Jammu  Kashmir has announced the winter vacation schedule for schools in the Kashmir division. According to the official order issued by the School Education Department on December 6, 2024, of which a copy is available with The Kashmiriyat, all government and recognized private schools up to the higher secondary level will observe vacations in two phases. For primary classes up to the 5th standard, the winter vacation will begin on December 10, 2024, and continue until February 28, 2025. For students from 6th to 12th standard, the vacation period will commence on December 16, 2024, and also conclude on February 28, 2025. The order specifies that teaching staff from government high and higher secondary schools must report to their respective headquarters from Febr...

Jammu Kashmir’s Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Thursday announced that winter vacations will be declared soon after students begin their new classes, despite the recent adjustments to the academic calendar. With annual examinations now conducted in October and November instead of March, the decision to commence winter vacations earlier is aimed at providing relief to students struggling with the severe winter conditions in the Valley. The education minister acknowledged the challenges faced by students due to the intense cold and emphasised the need for an early winter break to alleviate their difficulties. “We want to ensure the welfare of our students, and this step will help them better cope with the harsh winter,” she said. Itoo also addressed ongoing concerns regarding pri...

School Education Department is likely to announce winter vacation in a phased manner in Kashmir division from December 09, official sources said on Tuesday. Sources told that the directorate has sent a proposal to government, seeking permission to announce the vacation from December 09 to February 28, 2025. They said that for the secondary and senior secondary classes, DSEK has proposed to announce the vacation a week after the primary level. For the past couple of weeks, Kashmir is reeling under intense cold weather conditions—(KNO)

Undergraduate students in India may soon have the option to either accelerate or extend the duration of their degree programs, according to University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. The UGC has approved draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for implementing the Accelerated Degree Programme (ADP) and Extended Degree Programme (EDP) in higher education institutions (HEIs). The guidelines will now be released for public feedback before being finalized. The initiative will allow students to complete three-year or four-year degree programs in a shorter time by earning extra credits or extend the duration by taking fewer credits per semester. UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar explained that students can adjust their study duration based on their learning abilities. U...

Danishwar Hameed  A devastating fire broke out at the Government Boys' Middle School in Samnoo, Kulgam, yesterday evening, completely destroying one of the school's main buildings. The blaze consumed a structure housing three classrooms, leaving the school with only four rooms to accommodate over 70 students. With one of the remaining rooms now serving as an office, the school has just three classrooms available for teaching. This has raised serious concerns about the students' education, as the cramped conditions make it nearly impossible to conduct regular classes for all eight grades. "We were already facing challenges due to limited space, and now, with the destruction of the classrooms, it has become even more difficult. The education of our students is at risk, and we ...

The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has issued a circular addressing the increasing incidents of underage driving among students in the Kashmir division. The circular, of which a copy is available with The Kashmiriyat, highlights the grave risks posed to public safety and the frequent involvement of minors in road accidents. In a bid to prevent such occurrences, the DSEK has directed all government and private recognized schools, along with coaching centers, to strictly prohibit students from driving any motor vehicle, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers, to their institutions. The circular mandates heads of institutions to ensure strict compliance by disallowing entry to students arriving at schools or coaching centers in motor vehicles. Parents and guardia...