Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has decided to implement the Uniform Academic Calendar and the exams for classes 1-9 will be conducted in March now.
Based on climatic conditions, the schools of the two regions so far followed the practice of having summer and winter zones and had different academic calendars. In Jammu, schools begin the new session in April-May while in the Kashmir division, students appear for final exams in October and the new session begins in November every year.
According to the Principal Secretary, School Education Department Jammu and Kashmir, “Sanction is accorded to the implementation of Uniform Academic Calendar including conducting the annual examinations in March-April session for classes up to 9th standard in all the Government and Government recognized Private Schools of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The department further ordered that new admissions shall commence from the month of March of the calendar year.
J&K government set to implement NEP, UGC guidelines from current session
Earlier this year, the government of Jammu and Kashmir announced that it will fully implement the National Education Policy (NEP) from the current academic session.
“It will also move to a uniform academic calendar which in turn will be synchronized with the national academic calendar. In addition, the four-year undergraduate programme as per UGC guidelines would be introduced in colleges of J&K from the current academic session,” the J&K government had said in April.
This was unanimously agreed to in a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, to review and discuss modalities for the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir.
CUET to be compulsory for all admissions in the Union Territory
The meeting had decided that the centralized admission test CUET would be mandatory for all admissions in J&K from the next academic session. In addition, all higher education institutions would move towards progressively greater autonomy.
The meeting had a thorough exchange of ideas on steps to be taken for the implementation of this ambitious nationwide policy in J&K.
The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, of School Education, B K Singh, Vice Chancellors of various universities of the UT, and other senior officers of the Higher Education and School Education Department.
The Chief Secretary had advised the universities to ensure the implementation of the calendar in such a way that doesn't lead to any disruptions or loss of time. He also advised them to start the admissions process as soon as possible and also offer foundational courses to the students in line with the NEP.
Administration to provide academic support for career excellence
Asserting that Universities have a great role to play in research and vocational development, the Chief Secretary said that universities should become a centre of innovation and students instead of chasing government jobs should become innovators and job creators.
He said that the government will provide every kind of support to all universities in this regard. He said that the focus of this year’s financial budget will be to address the gaps in terms of academic infrastructure and teaching resources. He emphasized greater coordination among higher secondary schools, colleges, and universities that only greater coordination and supervision could lead to academic excellence. He said that J&K universities should chase excellence in education and obtain the best possible rankings
He had also asked the VCs to develop a robust framework for getting feedback from the students as academic feedback is more strongly and consistently related to achievement and quality of higher education. He also stressed on the need for a vibrant academic and cultural ecosystem, organizing more intra and inter University competitions and healthy campus life.
