J&K government reverses L-G order, goes back to old academic year

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday announced that they were reverting back to the old academic year scheme for students up to Class 9 in Kashmir valley from this year itself. The school examinations thus will now be held in November-December instead of March, chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
For students of Classes 10, 11 and 12 in the Valley, the session will change from the next academic year.
Notably, the lieutenant government-led (L-G) administration had in 2022 adopted the March academic calendar for the Kashmir division to align it with Jammu.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting led by the CM and was also attended by education minister Sakeena Masood.
“For some time in Kashmir and winter zones of Jammu, there were demands from parents and our children that the school exam schedule should be changed and the old system should be brought back. Our education minister brought a proposal in cabinet and the cabinet has passed that,” Omar said.
The CM said the exam schedule will revert back to the old scheme and winter zone exams will also be held before the winter vacation for students up to Class 9. The winter breaks typically begin around mid-December in Kashmir.
“For Classes 10, 11 and 12, we won’t be able to do it this year as those involve board exams. We assure such students that next year their exam schedule will follow the winter zone pattern and will be held before winter. I hope that the students and parents will be relieved by this decision,” Omar added.
Earlier, the newly formed government’s education minister had given indications that it was reversing the ‘Uniform Academic Policy’ of the L-G led administration from next year.
The decision seems to have been influenced by demands by parents, civil society and academics in Kashmir valley who say the November session is better suited for Kashmir students owing to its weather which then allows them 3-month winter vacation up to February with the start of a new academic session.
“We are announcing a change of academic session back to November-December from this year for non-board classes i.e., up to Class 9, for Kashmir Province and Winter zones of Jammu Province. For higher classes, the session would be restored from next year. I thank Hon’ble CM Jb Omar Abdullah Sb for prompt decision on the matter which was concerning students, teachers and parents,” she said in a post on X.