Anantnag, Jul 18: The Private Schools' Association Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK) Friday organised an educational conclave at Lucent Global School, Batengoo, Anantnag.
The event was attended by school leaders, principals, administrators, teachers, and management representatives from across the district.
Prof. Parvaiz Mir Director, CIED-IUST Foundation was the Chief Guest at the occasion.
In his keynote address, Prof. Mir emphasized the need to foster innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, and institutional excellence in schools.
He highlighted the importance of aligning educational institutions with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and encouraged school leaders to cultivate a culture of creativity, research, and future readiness among students.
The conclave was presided over State President, PSAJK Dr Baba Nazrul Islam.
In his presidential address, he presented the association's roadmap for strengthening private school education through visionary leadership, organizational unity, quality assurance, and continuous professional development.
He urged all stakeholders to work collectively for the advancement of school education and reaffirmed PSAJK's commitment to safeguarding the interests of educational institutions while promoting academic excellence.
The green campus initiative of PSAJK will be pledged for the next three years while the segregation of waste will reach to each kitchen.
The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, followed by a welcome address by the District President, PSAJK Anantnag Ashfaq Ahmad , who welcomed the distinguished guests and participants.
The first technical session was delivered by Prof. Parvaiz Mir on "Empowering School Leadership for Quality Education and Institutional Excellence."
The second technical session was conducted by Qadir Ahmad Khan, renowned Life Skill Speaker and Master Trainer, who spoke on "Innovation, Compliance, Collaboration and Future Readiness in School Education."
The programme also featured an interactive question-and-answer session, followed by reflections from Er. Zulfqar Sideqi, Vice President (South), PSAJK, on strengthening collaboration among member institutions.
Shafiqul Islam, Senior Vice President, PSAJK, addressed the gathering on the importance of organizational unity, emphasizing that a united Association is the key to achieving educational transformation.
The conclave concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the General Secretary, PSAJK Anantnag, expressing gratitude to the Chief Guest, resource persons, participants, organizers, and the management of Lucent Global School for hosting the event.
PSAJK reiterated its commitment to organizing such capacity-building initiatives across Jammu & Kashmir to empower school leaders, enhance institutional excellence, and contribute meaningfully to the transformation of education in the Union Territory.
New Delhi, May 12: A massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) broke out near the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG this year. The exam was held on May 3, following which allegations of paper leak surfaced, triggering investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and central agencies. Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the Government of India in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
Srinagar, Feb 12: Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 15.48 lakh traffic violation cases in 2025, with authorities collecting more than Rs 34.17 crore as penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday. The information was shared in the Lok Sabha in response to a question raised by MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal. According to the official data, 15,48,525 challans were issued across the Union Territory in 2025, while the penalty amount recovered stood at Rs 34,17,36,740. The figures further show that in 2024, a total of 15,44,105 violations were registered with a penalty collection of around Rs 43.40 crore, while in 2023, 12,38,584 challans were issued and Rs 34.56 crore was collected. For the current year, till February 8, 2026, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 1,63,531 traffic violation cases, with revenue collection of about Rs 2.11 crore. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that stricter penalties under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 are aimed at ensuring better compliance and deterrence. It also said that traffic enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of States and Union Territories. The government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for electronic monitoring and is promoting technology-driven enforcement through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras integrated with the VAHAN database. Awareness campaigns under the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan are also being carried out to improve road safety.
New Delhi, Jan 25: The Dental Council of India (DCI) has directed all universities and dental colleges across the country to strictly ensure a minimum of 80 percent biometric attendance for Post Graduate students before allowing them to appear in examinations. The decision has been taken to curb absenteeism among postgraduate dental students. According to a circular issued by the Dental Council of India-a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the decision has been taken after multiple complaints were received from dental colleges in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh regarding non-attendance of PG students. "The matter was examined by the Grievance Sub-Committee of the DCI in its meeting held on November 24, 2025," the circular reads. It reads that after detailed discussion and deliberation, the committee recommended that all universities and dental colleges must ensure compliance with Regulation 18(a)(i) of the DCI Master of Dental Surgery Course Regulations, 2017, which mandates at least 80 per cent attendance. "The recommendation of the Grievance Sub-Committee has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Dental Council of India through circulation and has now been formally communicated for information and necessary action," the circular reads. As per the circular, all the universities and dental colleges have been directed to ensure minimum 80 per cent biometric attendance of all PG students before permitting them to appear in examinations. The order, issued by Deputy Secretary Dental Council of India Mukesh Kumar, is expected to be implemented with immediate effect across the country.
Srinagar, Jan 8: Contractual faculty members working in government degree colleges of Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department (HED) have expressed strong resentment over what they term as a glaring disparity in salaries, demanding revision of their pay in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and regularisation of their services. The faculty, many of whom hold PhDs and are qualified through NET, SET and JRF, said they have been denied UGC-recommended pay scales despite discharging academic responsibilities equivalent to their regular counterparts. “Hundreds of highly qualified scholars have been pushed into silent suffering. For years, we have been assured that our pay revision is under consideration, but nothing has materialised so far,” said Dr Ishfaq Gowhar, a contractual faculty member. Earlier, Director Colleges J&K had acknowledged the legitimacy of the faculty’s demand, stating that while the issue was genuine, its implementation involved significant financial implications due to the large number of contractual appointments. “We are aware that they deserve salary enhancement, but the number of contractual faculty is huge and it has financial implications,” he earlier said. Dr Gowhar pointed out that contractual lecturers, who form the backbone of the higher education system, continue to work on a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 28,000, which has remained unchanged for nearly a decade. “The irony is that a Class IV employee with a Class 10 qualification draws a salary exceeding Rs 50,000, while doctorate-holding teachers engaged in teaching, mentoring and academic research are paid a fraction of that,” he said. He added that institutions such as SKUAST-K, University of Kashmir and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) have implemented revised UGC pay scales, but the Higher Education Department has failed to extend similar treatment to its contractual faculty. Dr Gowhar said the demand for “equal work, equal pay” gets prominently featured in election campaigns, raising hopes among contractual teachers. “Promises were made and slogans echoed during elections, but once the process ended, our voices were reduced to silence. Even meeting officials now feels impossible,” he said. He said contractual faculty were not seeking privileges but dignity, fairness and recognition for their service. The faculty appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Education Minister to intervene and take concrete steps towards addressing their long-pending demands. “This issue is not merely about salaries. It is about survival, justice and dignity in the classrooms of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Jammu, March 10: J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the status of vacancies and the progress of recruitments being undertaken through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) across various departments of the Union Territory. The meeting was attended by the concerned Administrative Secretaries, Chairperson JKSSB, Secretary JKPSC and other concerned representatives from different departments. While reviewing the progress, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for expeditious filling of all critical vacancies to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery. He called upon all Administrative Secretaries to hold regular follow-up meetings with their departments and recruitment agencies to ensure that pending issues are resolved and vacancies are filled at the earliest. He emphasized that timelines fixed for ongoing recruitment drives must be strictly adhered to, and directed that all posts received by the recruiting agencies should be advertised without delay. The Chief Secretary further advised the recruiting agencies to prepare and publish examination calendars simultaneously, enabling aspirants to have clarity regarding the schedule of examinations and adequate time to prepare. During the review, the Chief Secretary also took note of several bottlenecks affecting certain recruitments in JKPSC and JKSSB. He examined each issue in detail and directed the concerned departments to issue necessary clarifications and resolve procedural hurdles immediately so that the recruitment process is not delayed. Observing that prolonged recruitment cycles often create uncertainty for job aspirants, the Chief Secretary underscored the importance of conducting recruitment within a defined timeframe. He noted that a predictable recruitment cycle would allow applicants to plan their careers better and reduce anxiety among candidates. During the meeting, the Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), M.Raju presented a comprehensive overview of vacant posts across government departments. The data revealed that a total of 40,661 posts are currently vacant in different departments, including 3,808 Gazetted, 24,507 Non-Gazetted, and 12,351 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) posts. Among major departments, Health & Medical Education accounts for a significant share of vacancies with 2,497 Gazetted, 8,088 Non-Gazetted and 2,712 MTS posts, while other departments with substantial vacancies include Agriculture Production, Power Development, Finance, Revenue, Forest, Public Works (R&B) and Youth Services & Sports. While reviewing the recruitment being undertaken by the JKSSB for Non-Gazetted and MTS posts the Chairperson SSB, Vikas Kundal revealed that since 2019 the Board has received 46,744 posts, out of which 9,260 were withdrawn, leaving 37,484 posts for recruitment. The Board has already completed selections for 32,956 posts, including 27,449 selections pertaining to this period. He further added that at present, 10,035 posts remain under different stages of recruitment with JKSSB. These include 2,532 posts yet to be advertised, 4,768 posts at the examination stage, 1,258 at the selection stage, and 1,477 posts under live advertisements awaiting completion of the recruitment process. Meanwhile the Secretary, JKPSC, Bashir Ahmad Dar apprised the meeting about the status of posts referred to the JKPSC for recruitment. He divulged that at present, 1,745 Gazetted posts are under process with the Commission out of these, against 1,573 posts selection schedule has already been drawn, while 172 posts are yet to be scheduled due to certain procedural issues. He also gave out that a recruitment timeline has been worked out by the Commission for filling these posts. As per the schedule, 630 selections are targeted for completion by March 2026, 476 during April–May 2026, 158 during June–July 2026, and 309 during August–September 2026. Additionally department-wise analysis shows that the highest number of posts with JKPSC pertains to Health & Medical Education (872 posts) followed by School Education (470 posts), General Administration (170 posts) and Higher Education (129 posts), among others. The meeting was informed that all departments have shared the latest status of advertised posts, vacant positions and posts proposed to be referred to recruiting agencies. It was resolved that all clear vacancies without legal or procedural issues will be referred to the respective recruiting agencies at the earliest for timely recruitment.
Anantnag, Jul 18: The Private Schools' Association Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK) Friday organised an educational conclave at Lucent Global School, Batengoo, Anantnag. The event was attended by school leaders, principals, administrators, teachers, and management representatives from across the district. Prof. Parvaiz Mir Director, CIED-IUST Foundation was the Chief Guest at the occasion. In his keynote address, Prof. Mir emphasized the need to foster innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, and institutional excellence in schools. He highlighted the importance of aligning educational institutions with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and encouraged school leaders to cultivate a culture of creativity, research, and future readiness among students. The conclave was presided over State President, PSAJK Dr Baba Nazrul Islam. In his presidential address, he presented the association's roadmap for strengthening private school education through visionary leadership, organizational unity, quality assurance, and continuous professional development. He urged all stakeholders to work collectively for the advancement of school education and reaffirmed PSAJK's commitment to safeguarding the interests of educational institutions while promoting academic excellence. The green campus initiative of PSAJK will be pledged for the next three years while the segregation of waste will reach to each kitchen. The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an, followed by a welcome address by the District President, PSAJK Anantnag Ashfaq Ahmad , who welcomed the distinguished guests and participants. The first technical session was delivered by Prof. Parvaiz Mir on "Empowering School Leadership for Quality Education and Institutional Excellence." The second technical session was conducted by Qadir Ahmad Khan, renowned Life Skill Speaker and Master Trainer, who spoke on "Innovation, Compliance, Collaboration and Future Readiness in School Education." The programme also featured an interactive question-and-answer session, followed by reflections from Er. Zulfqar Sideqi, Vice President (South), PSAJK, on strengthening collaboration among member institutions. Shafiqul Islam, Senior Vice President, PSAJK, addressed the gathering on the importance of organizational unity, emphasizing that a united Association is the key to achieving educational transformation. The conclave concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the General Secretary, PSAJK Anantnag, expressing gratitude to the Chief Guest, resource persons, participants, organizers, and the management of Lucent Global School for hosting the event. PSAJK reiterated its commitment to organizing such capacity-building initiatives across Jammu & Kashmir to empower school leaders, enhance institutional excellence, and contribute meaningfully to the transformation of education in the Union Territory.
Srinagar, Jul 10: The Executive Committee Meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Council (JKHEC) was held at the University of Kashmir, on Thursday, bringing together eminent academicians, policymakers and heads of higher educational institutions from J&K to deliberate on transformative initiatives aimed at strengthening the higher education ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dinesh Singh, Vice-Chairman, J&K Higher Education Council, who emphasised the need for promoting innovation-driven, interdisciplinary and learner-centric approaches in higher education institutions in accordance with the vision and spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. Addressing the members, Prof. Singh underlined the importance of reimagining higher education through creativity, flexibility, experiential learning and problem-solving. He stressed on taking forward the Design Your Degree (DYD) programme as an innovative academic initiative aimed at enabling students to explore multidisciplinary learning pathways and develop skills suited to contemporary challenges. Prof. Singh said universities and colleges must evolve as dynamic centres of ideas, innovation and research where students are encouraged to think independently, undertake meaningful projects and engage with real-world challenges. He also highlighted the significance of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into academics, teaching-learning processes and research, enabling institutions to remain responsive to emerging global developments. Earlier, Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kashmir, in her remarks highlighted the University’s commitment towards advancing academic excellence, research, innovation and student-centric reforms. Prof. Khan said the University of Kashmir remains committed to achieving the objectives envisioned under NEP-2020 by strengthening collaboration among universities, colleges and government institutions. She said the J&K Higher Education Council has created an important platform for collective thinking and developing a shared roadmap for transforming higher education across Jammu and Kashmir. The Committee reviewed the progress achieved on decisions taken during previous meetings of the Higher Education Council and held detailed deliberations on strengthening the implementation of the Design Your Degree initiative, promoting undergraduate research, entrepreneurship and innovation-led education. Prof. Shobha Bagai, Director, Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi, shared her insights on multidisciplinary education, innovation ecosystems and experiential learning models. She emphasised the need to encourage creativity, research aptitude and entrepreneurial thinking among students from the undergraduate level and highlighted the importance of designing academic frameworks that connect classroom learning with practical problem-solving. The Executive Committee also discussed the integration of Artificial Intelligence in teaching, learning and research programmes across higher educational institutions. Members deliberated upon strategies to leverage AI for enhancing academic practices, improving research outcomes and preparing students for future opportunities. The meeting also reviewed initiatives related to entrepreneurship and innovation, proposed programmes under the Higher Education Council framework, and discussed budgetary provisions and other academic matters. The meeting was attended by Shri Ram Niwas Sharma (IAS), Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department, J&K; Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu; Prof. Shakil A. Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology; Prof. Mohammad Mobin, Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University Srinagar; Prof. K. S. Chandrasekar, Vice-Chancellor, Cluster University of Jammu; Prof. Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Director Colleges, J&K; Prof. (Dr.) Seema Naz, Nodal Principal, Government College of Education (IASE); Dr. Naveen Anand, Principal, Government College for Women, Parade Ground Jammu; and Dr. Guneet Singh Sudan, OSD to Vice-Chairman, J&K Higher Education Council, among others. Prof. Pragati Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), and Prof. B. N. Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, joined the meeting through online mode and participated in the deliberations.
Srinagar, June 28: The School Education Department (SED) has released the Draft Transfer Policy-2026 and initiated the process for rolling out the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD)-2026, paving the way for a comprehensive, online and merit-based transfer exercise for its teaching fraternity across Jammu and Kashmir. The draft policy, placed in the public domain for 15 days, invites comments, suggestions and objections from stakeholders before its formal notification. It marks the department's third structured transfer exercise after similar drives conducted in 2023 and 2024. The draft has been uploaded on the official websites of the School Education Department to ensure transparency and wider public participation in finalising the policy. According to the draft, the proposed policy aims to establish a transparent, fair and accountable framework for transfers and postings of teachers, masters, lecturers, headmasters, principals, Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs), Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and equivalent officers across the Union Territory. "The proposed policy seeks to ensure equitable deployment of staff, particularly in remote and underserved areas, while maintaining uninterrupted academic functioning and keeping students' interests at the centre of the transfer process," the draft reads. Transfers will ordinarily be processed through a dedicated Online Transfer Portal, with the Annual Transfer Drive scheduled to be completed before the commencement of every academic session. However, the policy also allows offline transfers in exceptional administrative circumstances with the approval of the competent authority. The draft introduces a revised zonal tenure system by categorising schools into five zones based on accessibility. Employees posted in Zones I, II and III will ordinarily serve three years in a school, while those serving in the more difficult Zones IV and V will have tenures of two years and one year, respectively. Employees completing their tenure in inaccessible Zone-V areas will be given preference for postings in comparatively accessible locations. To address disparities in staff distribution, the policy proposes rationalisation and redeployment of surplus teachers based on pupil-teacher ratio, student enrolment, subject requirements and institutional needs. It, however, stipulates that no rationalisation exercise should leave any institution without adequate teaching staff or adversely affect classroom instruction. The draft identifies five categories of transfers—general, mutual, administrative, compassionate and special rotational transfers. Compassionate transfers may be considered in cases involving severe medical conditions, benchmark disabilities, widowhood, safety concerns and other humanitarian grounds, subject to documentary verification. The policy also proposes special provisions for government-employed spouses, women employees, single parents, widows, divorcees, employees nearing retirement and persons with benchmark disabilities. Employees aged 58 years and above would ordinarily not be posted to the most difficult Zones IV and V. The draft also provides for inter-cadre transfers under specified circumstances, including marriage and exceptional medical or security grounds. A key feature of the proposed policy is the introduction of a Transfer Assessment Matrix (TAM)—an online point-based merit system that allocates weightage for service in difficult areas, age, disability, spouse posting, outstanding academic performance, national and UT-level teacher awards, serious illness, proximity to retirement and caregiving responsibilities to objectively determine transfer priority. The draft also lays down an indicative annual transfer calendar. Vacancies will be published in April, applications invited in May, merit lists and representations processed in June, and transfer orders issued during June and July. To address transfer-related disputes, the policy proposes a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the institutional, district and Union Territory levels, with representations to be ordinarily disposed of within 15 days. However, the proposed policy will not apply to Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) and Regularised Rehbar-e-Taleem (RReT) teachers, whose appointments remain school-specific unless separate government orders are issued. An official said the ATD has been revived following the successful implementation of similar exercises in 2023 and 2024, with the objective of making teacher transfers more transparent, equitable and technology-driven while strengthening accountability and improving human resource management in SED.
