SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has declared winter vacations for Degree Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, with a phased approach starting from December 27.
Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, Alok Kumar, said, “Government Degree Colleges in the Kashmir region will observe the break until February 14, 2024.”
“All Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in the Jammu division falling under the Winter Zone will also have winter vacations starting from December 27, aligning with the schedule for degree colleges in the Kashmir division. However, GDCs in the Jammu division falling under the Summer Zone will observe vacations from January 1 to January 10, 2024,” he said.
Earlier, on November 30, the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department directed the commencement of online classes in government degree colleges in the Kashmir region from December 1, 2023. This decision was attributed to the early onset of winter, causing challenges for students to commute and attend physical classes due to inadequate heating arrangements. Dr Ravi Shanker Sharma, Special Secretary to the government, emphasized, “The situation has been compounded due to disruption to normal class work with inadequate heating arrangements.”
The communique highlighted, “To ensure unhindered academic delivery in adverse and extremely cold conditions, it is impressed upon all the Principals of Government Degree Colleges of Kashmir Division that classes will be conducted via online mode from December 1, 2023, till December 31, 2023, or till winter vacations are announced, whichever is earlier.”
