EDUCATION

The Government of Jammu  Kashmir on Monday revised the summer vacation schedule for all Government Degree Colleges in the Kashmir Division, advancing the break by nearly three weeks. According to the latest order issued by the Higher Education Department (Order No. 290-JK (HE) of 2025), summer vacations will now be observed from June 24 to July 3, 2025. The earlier schedule had fixed the break from July 15 to July 24. The announcement comes on a day when Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 34.6°C, which is 5.4°C above the normal range for this time of the year. The sweltering conditions have prompted concerns over student health and classroom functioning. The revised order, signed by Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Shantmanu, IAS, modifies the earlier go...

Mehdi Khawaja’s English translation of Akhtar Mohiuddin’s 1975 Kashmiri novel, To Each Their Own Hell, has been awarded the 2025 Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation. The announcement was made during a livestreamed event co-hosted with Himal Southasian’s annual Fiction Fest. Juror Daisy Rockwell praised the winning work, saying, "The 1975 Kashmiri novel To Each Their Own Hell by Akhtar Mohiuddin is a taut, compelling meditation on love, and its absence, populated by mysterious characters with names like X and Sheen and Daisy and Nancy. In Mehdi Khawaja’s compelling translation, the propulsive voice of the narrative immediately grabs the reader’s attention and won’t let go. To Each Their Own Hell is utterly unique and evokes both the nihilism of No Exit or Mad...

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has opened admissions for the July 2025 session, inviting applications for a wide range of programmes across its 30 study centres in Kashmir and Ladakh. Prospective students can apply online at ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in or through the main university website, www.ignou.ac.in. The last date to submit applications is July 15. This year’s cycle includes over 60 academic programmes, with new four-year undergraduate courses in disciplines such as Commerce, History, Political Science, Public Administration, and Urdu. IGNOU has also introduced postgraduate programmes in Geography, Geo-Informatics, Applied Statistics, and Renewable Energy. To apply, students must register on the SAMARTH portal, create login credentials, and upload rel...

As tensions soar in West Asia following Israel’s provocative strikes deep into Iranian territory, panic has spread among Kashmiri families with children studying in Iran. Many are losing sleep as reports of explosions near student hostels emerge from cities like Tehran and Shiraz. Fiza Ali, an MBBS student from Srinagar currently studying in Tehran, told The Kashmiriyat, over the phone that a missile exploded just a few hundred meters from her hostel. "It was terrifying. The blast shook the entire building. Windows rattled, people screamed. We’ve never experienced anything like this," she said, her voice trembling over a WhatsApp call. "My parents are panicking, and honestly, so am I. We don’t know what might happen next." The growing hostility between Iran and Israel, especially aft...

Just weeks after the tragic case at Kashmir Harvard School, another disturbing incident has surfaced at Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School, where a Class 3rd student, Ayaat Altaf, daughter of Mohammad Altaf Dar, was allegedly subjected to severe corporal punishment by her teachers, leading to serious health complications. As per a report by locals news agency Kashmir Bulletin, Ayaat was reportedly beaten within the school premises, yet no immediate medical attention was provided. Her parents were informed late, and upon arrival, they found her vomiting, unconscious, and unable to open her eyes. Doctors at JVC hospital advised a CT scan, but due to the unavailability of CT scan services, her treatment has been delayed. Ayaat’s father, Mohammad Altaf Dar, voiced his distre...

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K), has witnessed a record-breaking 18,477 applications for its 2025 entrance examination, making it the most sought-after agricultural university in the country. The competition is fierce, with over 18,000 aspirants vying for just a little over 1,000 seats. In contrast, its counterpart in Jammu receives approximately 4,000 applications annually. Among the total applicants, 83 percent, or 15,173 candidates, were from Kashmir, while 17 percent, or 3,304, were from Jammu. The gender distribution was nearly balanced, with girls making up 49 percent and boys 51 percent of the total applicants. The entrance exam was held across 28 centres, with 24 located in Kashmir and four in Jammu. This marks the highest...

The Jammu Kashmir government has announced the summer vacation schedule for all Government Degree Colleges across the region, with separate dates based on regional climatic conditions. According to the official order, Government Degree Colleges located in the Summer Zone of Jammu Division will remain closed for summer vacation from June 1 to July 15, 2025. Colleges in the Winter Zone of Jammu Division, as well as those in the Kashmir Division, will observe summer vacation from July 15 to July 24, 2025. The division-wise schedule has been designed keeping in view the varying weather patterns across the regions.

Students of the Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing 1st Year program (Session 2024–2025) under the University of Kashmir have raised a serious academic concern, urging the authorities to intervene and postpone their upcoming annual examinations, currently scheduled for July 2025. The students, in a written appeal, have highlighted that the syllabus for the current academic session remains significantly incomplete. With nine major subjects forming the core of their curriculum, they claim that limited classroom instruction and delays in syllabus coverage have left them academically unprepared and mentally stressed. “We are under severe academic pressure. The syllabus is incomplete, and we haven’t had enough time for proper learning or revision,” the students stated in their representation. The...

In Jammu Kashmir, more than 13 lakh students enrolled in government schools are being provided with free textbooks and uniforms under the Right to Education Act. An official said that under the Act, at least eight lakh students from classes 1 to 8 are receiving free uniforms. The cost of the uniform is Rs 600 per child. The official further said that at least 5.50 lakh students from classes 3 to 5 are being provided with free textbooks. Regarding quality education and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), the official said that 15,550 pre-primary sections have been started in schools across the Union Territory, including PM SHRI Schools. A total of 13,804 AAYA workers and helpers have been engaged for these pre-primary sections. The official added that 46 model kindergartens...

The Kashmir University on Tuesday postponed all examinations scheduled up to and including May 18. In a notification issued by the Assistant Controller examination (Conduct) a copy of which lies with news agency JKNS reads, "All the University examinations scheduled to be held up to and including 18th of May 2025 stand postponed." "Revised dates for the postponed papers shall be available on the official website of the University," it reads. Students have been advised to regularly check the website for updates regarding the fresh examination schedule. (JKNS)