Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday has written to Sakina Itoo, Minister for Education, seeking her urgent intervention against what it described as the “arbitrary and unjustified” increase in NRI and Other-State quota seats at SKUAST-Kashmir for the academic session 2025–26.
In a statement, JKSA expressed concern that while the SKUAST-K has cited “overwhelming response and public demand” as justification for the enhancement, the increase has been applied selectively to NRI and Other-State categories, which are based on higher fee payments and Class 12th marks, while the “Open Merit (OM), Self-Finance (SF), and other reserved categories, where admissions are strictly through the University Entrance Test (UET), have been ignored”.
JKSA emphasized that if the genuine intention was to provide opportunities to deserving candidates, preference should have been given to OM, SF, and other reserved categories where selection is purely on merit. Instead, seats have been increased in categories where merit plays no role, raising serious questions about fairness and transparency.
It further highlighted the situation at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry (FVSc), SKUAST-K, noting that the intake has already swelled to nearly 160–190 students, while laboratories and clinical facilities were originally designed for just 60–70 students.
JKSA pointed out that the limited clinical case-flow in the teaching hospital leaves students with minimal hands-on exposure. Overcrowded laboratories and rushed clinical rotations, it warned, compromise the quality of training and risk reducing veterinary education to theory without adequate practice.
The JKSA also stated that seat increases can only be justified after expanding laboratories, hospital services, and other infrastructure. In the present circumstances, it argued, admitting additional students will only worsen overcrowding and further dilute the standards of veterinary education.
JKSA urged the minister to reverse the “unjustified” increase in NRI and Other-State quota seats and to ensure that any seat expansion, if unavoidable, is first applied to OM, SF, and other reserved categories strictly on the basis of UET merit.
It also called upon SKUAST-K to prioritize strengthening laboratories, classrooms, hospital facilities, and clinical case availability before considering any further intake.
“Students are not against seat enhancement, but against arbitrary decisions that compromise quality and merit,” JKSA added.
JKSA calls for postponement of JKSSB & JKPSC Plus-2 Lecturer examinations
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday said it has written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, urging him to immediately postpone all competitive and recruitment examinations scheduled for September given the recent devastating floods and landslides across the Union Territory.
In a statement, the JKSA said that the recent spell of incessant rains has not only destroyed homes and properties but has also left students among the worst affected. “Many aspirants have lost their study material, essential documents, and even their homes. With road connectivity snapped in several areas and internet services disrupted, it is unfair to expect them to appear for examinations under such circumstances,” JKSA said.
It pointed out that examinations conducted by JKPSC and JKSSB, particularly the Plus-2 Lecturer and JE (Electrical) recruitment tests, are fast approaching, while thousands of aspirants remain under severe distress.
“Holding exams in the middle of this humanitarian crisis would deny students a level playing field and deepen their trauma,” JKSA added.
The Association emphasized that postponing the exams would be a compassionate and fair step, giving students the breathing space to recover and prepare once the situation normalizes. “We hope the LG will urgently intervene to safeguard the aspirations of youth, who form the backbone of Jammu and Kashmir’s progress,” JKSA added.
