SUHAIL KHAN
SRINAGAR, Oct 30: The government of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday announced restoration of November-December academic session upto 9th standard, in place of the previously adopted March session.
During an event, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his gratitude to the ministry of education for addressing longstanding demand of students and parents’ community in Kashmir and the winter zones of Jammu to reconsider the exam schedule and revert it to its earlier format.
“I would like to thank Minister of Education Sakeena Itoo, who presented the resolution to the cabinet, which was subsequently approved,” he stated.
“From this year, the exam schedule for classes up to 9th will revert to the previous scheme. Exams for the winter zone will now take place before the winter vacations,” the chief minister announced.
He also noted that the exam schedules for classes 10, 11, and 12 remain unchanged for the current year due to board exam considerations. “However, I assure students that their exam schedules will be modified starting next year,” he added.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that this decision would have a positive impact on the ground and provide relief to students and their parents.
Non-Board Classes to Have Exams in November-December
Education Minister Sakina Itoo also took to the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce the changes. She wrote, “We are reverting the academic session for non-board classes (up to 9th grade) back to November-December this year for the Kashmir Province and the winter zones of Jammu Province. For higher grades, the session will be restored next year.”
Her post added, “We are announcing the change of the academic session back to November-December from this year for non-board classes, i.e., up to Class 9, for Kashmir Province and the winter zones of Jammu Province. For higher classes, the session will be restored from next year. I thank Hon’ble CM Jb @OmarAbdullah Sb for promptly addressing this concern for students, teachers, and parents.”
This decision was made after careful consideration of requests from parents, civil society, and academic stakeholders in the Kashmir Valley.
Many believe that the November session is better suited for students in Kashmir due to prevailing weather conditions. This schedule allows for a three-month winter vacation that extends until February, aligning with the start of the new academic year.
The move has been widely welcomed by local communities and educational stakeholders, who believe the change will help align school schedules with seasonal patterns and improve overall academic focus during the winter months.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
