Kashmir holds Class 12 board exams amid tight security

Srinagar: Even as unknown arsonists made a bid to target yet another government-run school in Kashmir’s Budgam district, the annual board examinations began in the restive Valley under unprecedented security on Monday.

An official spokesman said that 94.88 per cent of about 32,000 students appeared in the Class 12 examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (J&KBOSE). “The overall attendance was more than last year’s average,” he said, adding that highest 98.10 per cent was recorded in the central district of Budgam. The examinations of Class 10 are scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The Valley has been on the boil since July 8 this year in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani. The schools were on a fortnight long summer vacation when the turbulence started and these could not reopen since.

The PDP-BJP government announced the schedule for examinations despite opposition from the separatists and other sections of the society apart from select student and academics groups on the premise that in present circumstances it would be risky to force the students to relocate to examination centres. They also said that hundreds of students have been maimed and even blinded in shotgun pellet firings and other actions of the security forces in their attempt to contain the unrest whereas thousands others are languishing in jails. Further the students have due to the educational institutions remaining closed for over four months not been able to complete their syllabi.

The officials said that “foolproof” arrangements have been put in place for over 85,000 students enrolled for these. As many as 484 exam centres have been set up across the Valley for about 32,000 candidates for Class 12 and another over 500 for about 55,000 those of Class 10.

However, many of the examination centres had to be relocated for security reasons and yet almost all were categorised as “sensitive” by the authorities. The men from J&K police and the CRPF were deployed in strength around each examination centre on Monday. Also the movement of people within 200- metre radius  of these was restricted after imposing Section 144 CrPC.

Many students, however, said they faced problems in reaching the designated centres due to non-availability of public transport. Responding the state’s education minister Naeem Akhtar wrote on his Facebook page, “I’m sure every member of the society would try to make it easier for the children to reach the exam centres. Best contribution would be for those using cars or bikes to offer lift to children”. The authorities also said that there were no restrictions on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley and that the separatists-sponsored shutdown has had only a “declining impact” on the overall ground situation.

Mr. Akhtar when asked about the first day of the commencement of the board examination told this newspaper, “It gives satisfaction that students could resume one critical part of their studies. Hope the rest will be smooth too.” He added, “Kashmiri society has risen to the necessity of following the academic calendar. I’m grateful to all for having made a smooth start of exams possible. I look forward to cooperation in future too.”

A report from Budgam said that the authorities on Monday had to relocate three examination centres from the district’s Soibugh area after “miscreants” hurled rocks at a building where 12th class students were writing their test. The security forces fired teargas canisters to quell the stone-throwing mob. Later in the day, students were thrashed by “miscreants” at Soibugh Chowk and nearby Haran locality while they were returning home from the examination centre, witnesses said.

A statement issued by the J&KBOSE here said that out of 31,964 students enrolled for appearing in the 12th Class examination 30, 213 students appeared in Monday’s paper.

Meanwhile, the Private Schools’ Association of Kashmir (PSAK) has urged the government to clear its stand on the fate of classes 1 to 9 and class 11, as there is no communication from government whether they will hold examination for these classes or approve ‘Provisional Promotion’ declared by the association. “We had taken a decision to provide provisional promotion to students as a measure to relieve them of uncertainty of academic session and the related stress,” said G N Var president PSAK. He added, “But the government is maintaining a dangerous silence over the matter. Wherever we go to officials they say we don’t know.”

In a separate development, the J&K government on Monday ordered reopening of schools in the border areas of Jammu from Tuesday. These schools were closed following the increased incidence of clashes between Indian and Pakistan troops amid heightening tension between the two countries post September 29 surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).

At least 174 schools along the International Border (IB) and the LoC were closed down by the state government on November 1 in the wake of continuous ceasefire violation from Pakistani troops. Close to 45 border schools were also closed down in Samba district.