Every morning, eight-year-old Aamir leaves his home in a remote village of Kishtwar long before sunrise. His small frame is often lost in the mist that rolls down the mountains as he makes his way to a government school several kilometres away. He crosses muddy paths, a wooden bridge over a stream, and climbs a rocky trail before reaching his classroom, a crumbling building with half-broken windows, no toilets, and barely any heating in winter. In the same valley, another child, perhaps of the same age, waits comfortably at the gate of his house in Srinagar’s suburbs. A private school bus stops right at his doorstep, its seats cushioned, its windows fog-free, and his attendance recorded on a tablet. His classroom is warm, brightly lit, and equipped with smart boards. His lunchbox holds ho...