EDUCATION

Shabir Ali A Kashmiri student studying  has died at Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Family members speaking to The  Kashmiriyat that Saba Rasool, a fourth-year MBBS student from Safakadal, Srinagar, pursuing her studies at Urmia University of Medical Sciences died early Thursday following health complications. Saba, they said, had complained of severe pain two days ago and was admitted to a hospital, but she passed away around 3:00 am despite medical care. Her family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for urgent repatriation of her body for last rites in Srinagar. Saba had recently gone viral during the Iran-Israel conflict, with videos of her reaching her home in Srinagar circulating widely.

Danishwar Hameed In a pioneering stride toward modernizing primary-level assessments, Government Primary School Ganaie Mohalla Pariwan held an innovative OMR-based interschool competition specifically designed for Grades 4 and 5. The event drew enthusiastic participation from 17 schools across the region, positioning the school at the forefront of integrating technology-driven learning and evaluation methods in early education. Centered around competency-based learning, the competition tested students in core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, and English, using multiple-choice questions that emphasized conceptual understanding over rote memorization. The primary goal was to introduce students to Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology, often reserved for secondary and highe...

At least 15 students fell unconscious, some experiencing panic attacks, after a chemical reaction occurred during a laboratory experiment at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSS) in Khrew on Monday. An official told news agency JKNS that the incident took place during a routine chemistry practical when a container of acid reportedly reacted unexpectedly, causing fumes to spread inside the laboratory. The sudden incident led to chaos, with several students collapsing and others experiencing severe distress and breathing difficulties, the official added. All affected students were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, with some later referred to SMHS Hospital Srinagar for specialized treatment. Their condition is stated to be stable. BMO Pampore, Dr. Yusuf, conf...

A final-year dental student from Jammu Kashmir was found dead in her hostel room in Udaipur, Rajasthan, earlier this week. The 24-year-old, Sweta Singh, was pursuing a BDS degree at a private medical college in the city. Police said she died by suicide. A handwritten note recovered from her room blamed faculty members for "mental harassment" and academic manipulation. Sweta’s roommate discovered her hanging and alerted the hostel authorities. Her body was taken to a local mortuary, and the postmortem will be conducted after her family arrives from Jammu Kashmir. The suicide note, written in a mix of Hindi and English, directly accused two faculty members, referred to as "Nani Ma’am" and "Bhagwat Sir", of prolonged harassment and humiliation. She alleged that this had been going...

Residents of Khanpora village in Khag block of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district have once again raised a pressing demand for the upgradation of their Government Middle School to the High School level, a plea that has gone unaddressed for decades despite the school’s historic significance and proven academic record. Established in 1957, Government Middle School Khanpora is among the oldest institutions in the district. Despite newer schools in nearby villages already being upgraded to High Schools, Khanpora's school continues to function only up to Grade 8. Villagers see this as a stark case of political neglect and uneven development. “Many schools set up after ours have already been upgraded. What else do we need to prove?” questioned a retired teacher from the village. The l...

Faheem Ahmad Students of SSM College of Engineering in Pattan have accused the institution of imposing hefty fines on those with attendance shortages. According to several B.Tech 8th-semester students who spoke to The Kashmiriyat, the college has demanded payments ranging from ₹8,000 to ₹24,000, depending on the number of classes missed. “The degree is already financially draining, and now this fine is impossible to bear. If this continues, I’ll have to drop out,” said one student, requesting anonymity. Another added, “They are mentally exhausting us. We feel like ATMs to them.” Students alleged that when they raised concerns with the college administration, they were met with threats of police action. “They told us that if we speak up, they’ll file FIRs against us,” one student s...

Earth is spinning slightly faster than usual this month, and scientists say this isn’t the first time it’s happened. On July 9, the planet completed its rotation a little quicker than normal, shaving off about 1.3 milliseconds from the standard 24-hour day. And it’s expected to happen again soon. According to researchers, July 22 and August 5 will also see shortened days due to the moon’s position in relation to Earth’s equator. On those dates, Earth’s rotation is predicted to speed up enough to reduce the day by between 1.3 and 1.5 milliseconds. A day is typically 86,400 seconds, the time it takes Earth to complete a full rotation. However, various factors can influence this, including the gravitational pull from the moon and sun, changes in Earth’s magnetic field, large-scale...

Schools across Kashmir will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, July 8, after the conclusion of the scheduled summer break, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo announced. She said that all schools falling under the municipal areas of every district, from primary to class 12th, will operate from 7:30 am to 11:30 am in view of the prevailing weather conditions. According to the minister, schools located within the municipal limits of all districts, from the primary level up to class 12th, will operate from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM due to the prevailing summer heat. For schools situated in rural or non-municipal areas, classes will begin slightly later, running from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon. Introducing a blended learning model, the minister also announced that students will participate in two hour...

Amid the ongoing heatwave across the Valley, Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday announced the extension of summer vacations for colleges till Sunday, while adding that a review is underway regarding extension in school vacations. Speaking at an official function, the Minister Sakina Itoo as per news agency JKNS said, “As summer vacations for colleges are nearing their end, we have decided to extend them till Sunday due to the prevailing heatwave.” She said the government is actively monitoring weather conditions before taking any final call on reopening schools. “As far as vacations for schools are concerned, we will review the situation soon, keeping the weather forecast in view,” she said. Summer vacations for colleges were earlier scheduled to end on July 4, while for ...

Momina Javid, a young biochemist from Sopore in north Kashmir, has been awarded the prestigious IDEX Master’s Excellence Fellowship by Université Paris-Saclay in France. The fellowship secures her place in the university’s competitive international Master’s programme in Life Sciences and Health – Infectiology: Biology of Infectious Diseases. As part of this research-intensive programme, Momina will begin her studies at the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge in Cambodia and complete a six-month thesis in France. On graduating, she will receive two master’s degrees—one from Université Paris-Saclay and another from the University of Health Sciences, Cambodia. Currently working as a Junior Research Fellow at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, Momina is engaged in translational research o...