As Jamia Millia Islamia's postgraduate entrance examinations begin this week, Kashmiri students are facing severe difficulties in reaching Delhi to appear for the tests due to the ongoing security lockdown and travel disruptions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting these concerns, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has issued a strong appeal to authorities, seeking immediate intervention to prevent academic setbacks for hundreds of affected candidates.
With the Srinagar airport shut and other transport services heavily disrupted amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, many students have been left stranded, unable to make it to their designated exam centres.
Describing the situation as one of “immense inconvenience, fear, and uncertainty,” JKSA stated that it is “deeply unjust” for students, who have invested months or even years preparing for these critical examinations, to be penalised due to circumstances entirely beyond their control.
“These are not just any tests — students have spent months, even years, preparing for this moment,” the association said, urging the government to act swiftly.
In a public statement, the students’ association urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with the Union Education Minister and Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Prof Mazher Asif.
The association has called for either a postponement of the scheduled entrance exams or the provision of an alternative arrangement, such as a special examination at a later date, for students affected by the current crisis.
“We must ensure that the dreams and aspirations of Kashmir’s youth are not derailed by circumstances beyond their control,” the statement emphasised.
The entrance examinations are scheduled to begin from May 8, and no official response has yet been issued by Jamia Millia Islamia or the Ministry of Education regarding JKSA’s appeal.
