Srinagar, Nov 4: The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to conduct exams for students up to Class 9 in the Kashmir Valley in December.
The government recently announced that the academic session for students up to the 9th standard would follow a November-December schedule.
However, there was uncertainty about whether the exams would take place in November or December. Authorities have now clarified that the exams will be held in December, not in November.
“The examinations up to Class 9 will be conducted in December. Parents and students should not worry about the cold weather. Ee will make all necessary arrangements in the examination halls. Exams were conducted in December earlier also,” Minister for Education Sakina Itoo told news agency KINS.
She said that the academic session for students in Classes 10 to 12 will return to the November-December cycle starting next year.
In 2022, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir announced that a Uniform Academic Calendar would be implemented from the 2022-23 academic year onward.
On October 320, the government restored the November-December academic session up to 9th standard in the winter zone.
“We have heard the requests from parents and children to revert to the previous academic schedule, which better accommodates the harsh winter conditions of the region. Today, we have reintroduced the November session to bring much-needed relief to families in the winter zones,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said
Minister Sakeena Itoo, who moved the initiative, expressed gratitude to the cabinet for supporting the proposal. “I am thankful to the Chief Minister and the entire cabinet for their backing. With this decision, students up to the ninth grade in Kashmir’s winter zones will have their exams scheduled before winter holidays, alleviating the strain of preparing in severe weather,” she explained.
The change, however, will not apply immediately to students in grades 10, 11, and 12, as board exam preparations are already underway.
CM Omar Abdullah assured students and parents that from next year, a similar winter-aligned schedule will be implemented for higher classes, allowing board exams to conclude ahead of the harsh winter.
“This shift will provide relief to our children and their parents,” added CM Abdullah, expressing his appreciation for Sakeena Itoo’s dedication to the initiative.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration led by Lieutenant Governor in 2022 had issued orders for the implementation of a “ uniform academic Calendar” for both Jammu and Kashmir divisions “ in sync with the higher education department and the rest of the country.”
