Srinagar: Teachers and other employees of the School Education Department have alleged that files submitted under the government’s one-time exemption mechanism for recognition of higher qualifications acquired during service have gone missing, leaving hundreds of cases pending for nearly two years.
The affected employees have appealed to Education Minister Sakeena Itoo to intervene and ensure that their cases are traced and processed.
According to the teachers, they had submitted their documents through the prescribed official channel—from Zonal Education Offices (ZEOs) to Chief Education Offices (CEOs) and subsequently to the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK). However, many of these cases do not appear either in the observation lists or in the recommendation and consideration lists issued by the Directorate.
“We submitted all required documents through the official channel. Records at the ZEO office show that the files were forwarded, but hundreds of cases from Zone Fatehgarh are missing from the lists issued by the Directorate,” said Tahir Hussain, a teacher from Baramulla.
The issue relates to Government Order No. 188-JK(Edu) of 2024, issued on March 15, 2024, under which the government granted a one-time exemption to teaching and non-teaching staff who had acquired higher qualifications through distance or online mode during service without prior permission from the Administrative Department. The measure was intended to facilitate the finalisation of seniority lists and promotions.
Teachers said employees should not suffer because of administrative lapses if files were submitted and forwarded through official channels.
“For nearly two years, employees have been waiting for their cases to be processed. If a file has gone missing between government offices, the applicant should not be penalised,” said another affected teacher.
The employees said the matter has direct implications for seniority, promotions and career progression. They have demanded a district-wise reconciliation of all files submitted under the exemption process, including records of cases forwarded by ZEOs and CEOs, files received at the Directorate, cases returned for deficiencies and those pending verification.
They have also sought permission to submit duplicate sets of documents where original files cannot be traced.
“We are not seeking automatic approval of our qualifications. Let every certificate and document be verified. Our demand is simply that our cases be brought on record and examined fairly,” said Syed Malik, Zonal President of the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum.
A parallel demand has also emerged for extending the eligibility cut-off date under the exemption mechanism from March 15, 2024, to September 30, 2026.
“Our demand is not merely for extending the document submission deadline. We want the eligibility cut-off date itself to be extended so that employees who completed recognised higher qualifications after March 15, 2024, are also considered,” said Showkat Ahmad Dar, Zonal President of the Jammu and Kashmir Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum.
The teachers argued that the demand is consistent with the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages continuous professional development and lifelong learning among educators.
They, however, maintained that only qualifications from recognised institutions and programmes should be considered after due verification.
The employees have urged the School Education Department to undertake a time-bound audit and reconciliation of records at the ZEO, CEO and Directorate levels.
“For many employees, this is not just about missing paperwork. It directly affects their seniority, promotion prospects and career progression. Genuine qualifications should not be ignored simply because a file has become untraceable,” they said.
