In Baramulla district, the department attended to 533 fire calls, including six false alarms, with November recording the highest number of incidents. Fires damaged 83 residential houses, 16 shops, 31 cow sheds, 44 sheds and 86 haystacks, besides other properties. Two civilians sustained injuries during the year.

Officials said property worth Rs 42.64 crore was involved in fire incidents in Baramulla, of which losses amounted to Rs 9.85 crore, while assets worth Rs 32.77 crore were saved. The primary causes of fires were identified as LPG leaks, electrical overloads and short circuits. The district also reported six incidents of forest fires during the year.

In Bandipora district, Fire and Emergency Services responded to 228 calls, including three false calls.

Meanwhile, in Kupwara district, the department attended to around 379 calls, including three false calls and 18 rescue operations. Official data show that four civilians lost their lives and 47 others were injured in fire incidents reported in the district during 2025.

In Kupwara, property worth Rs 65.44 crore was involved in various incidents, with losses estimated at Rs 10 crore, while property worth Rs 55 crore was saved. The damaged assets included 90 houses, nine buildings, 23 shopping complexes, 22 shops, 75 cow sheds, 59 firewood sheds, 69 haystacks and 12 vehicles, besides other properties.

Assistant Director, Fire and Emergency Services J&K (North Kashmir), Er Mohmad Arif Mir, said that 2025 remained relatively calmer compared to 2024, although an uptick in incidents was observed during the last quarter of the year due to dry weather conditions.

“During the last quarter, we witnessed an increase in forest fire incidents, largely due to dry weather. Overall, however, the situation remained calmer than in 2024,” he said.

Mir added that most fire incidents during the year were caused by public negligence and urged people to exercise caution while using heating appliances during winter.

“With winter setting in, people must use heating gadgets with utmost care and ensure that all appliances are ISI-marked,” he said.

Comparing the data with 2024, Mir said north Kashmir recorded a reduction in fire calls in 2025, with a decline of 39 percent in Bandipora, seven percent in Kupwara and three percent in Baramulla.

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In this regard, the DSEK has earlier issued instructions to all the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) to finalise the list of the schools and teachers to be engaged for this initiative. The move comes in backdrop of the proposals submitted by the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) to the Directorate to start the winter tutorials for the students during the winter vacation.

An official said that this year the list of teachers will be finalised prior to the start of the winter tutorials to ensure that no other teachers are included in the list of teachers who are entitled for leave salary.

“As per the verbal directions of the Director School Education Kashmir, all the Principals and Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) are hereby directed to commence the winter tutorials strictly in accordance with the proposals already submitted to this office for classes 9th to 12th,” reads an official message circulated to the zones and schools in one of the districts of north Kashmir. “Furthermore, due care must be taken to ensure adequate heating arrangements and a conducive learning environment for the students during the tutorial period,” it reads. The concerned teachers and school heads have been directed to apprise the office positively within two days regarding the student enrollment and the arrangements made in this regard. Earlier, the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Naseer Ahmad Wani directed the CEOs to start the winter tutorial in accordance with the proposal. “All Chief Education Officers of Kashmir Division are hereby directed to start the Winter Tutorials strictly as per the proposal submitted to this Directorate, with immediate effect,” a communication reads.

The move comes weeks after the private schools were allowed to start the remedial classes in their respective institutions for the students during the winter vacation. The private schools were asked to ensure proper arrangements for the students and not to charge any additional costs from the students for the purpose. While the winter tutorial for secondary and senior secondary classes of government schools will be managed by the DSEK, the initiative for the students of the elementary level classes is likely to be managed by the Project Directorate of Samagra Shiksha.

The post Winter tutorials for government schools to commence soon appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Also, the CBSE has relaxed the rules for the private schools to seek affiliation from the Board. The development comes amid the complaints against the JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) affiliated private schools for prescribing textbooks of the private publishers in violation of the government orders to adopt JKBOSE textbooks for students of all classes. Amid this the academicians and stakeholders have sought government intervention to safeguard the existence of JKBOSE.

A former Chief Education Officer (CEO) who also served in JKBOSE at different positions said the proposals for switching JKBOSE affiliated schools to CBSE was going on during previous years but the move was opposed by the Board. “CBSE curriculum has its advantage but de-affiliating schools from JKBOSE has its own implications as well. Any move aimed at making JKBOSE irrelevant will have its own implications,” the former CEO told Greater Kashmir wishing not to be named.

He said adopting CBSE helps students to develop national level competence but there were other implications as well. “JKBOSE should not become irrelevant at all. Government must pay proper attention to the issue and avoid any such move which is aimed at weakening this institution,” he said

President Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK), Nazrul Islam Baba when contacted said the JKBOSE needs to be strengthened financially by the government. “As of now, JKBOSE is in losses on account of printing of textbooks for free supply to the government schools,” Baba told Greater Kashmir. He said there are around 30 to 40 percent of the private schools which can never be in a position to qualify for affiliation from CBSE. “JKBOSE is not catering to only high-end schools but budget schools as well. We must understand the Board is not any printing house, it needs financial support to bring reforms,” he said. He said that Education was a welfare not any commercial activity and private schools have no issues if the government adopts NCERT textbooks directly.

“Besides NCERT textbooks, schools can be allowed to prescribe other books as per the consent of the parents,” he said. He however said that the government must not let the JKBOSE lose its relevance but instead should help it to come out of losses. “Board supplies free textbooks to 14 lakh children almost free of cost which results in losses for it. Then the students have to bear the brunt of it as their registration fees and examination fee is increased,” President PSAJK told Greater Kashmir. Over the years, scores of private schools across Kashmir have been preparing for shifting their affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Various schools have submitted their files to switch their affiliation amid the relaxation in rules by CBSE.

As already reported by this newspaper, the Ministry of Education (MoE) in June 2023 reached out to the J&K School Education Department, seeking a timeline for the affiliation of BOSE-affiliated schools with the CBSE. The official communication from the MoE was issued to the SED and asked to furnish the updated data regarding the affiliation status of schools in the Union Territories in a prescribed format.

“You are also requested to intimate the timeline for affiliation of government schools with CBSE, which are currently affiliated to state Board,” the official communication reads. The discussion on the matter (affiliation) was held by the Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) in a meeting chaired on May 4, 2023. Following this, the SED dispatched a letter to the Director of School Education Kashmir and Jammu divisions besides the Project Director of Samagra Shiksha J&K and Secretary BOSE. The officers were asked to furnish the updated data regarding the affiliation status of schools in the J&K. An official said that following the communication from MoE, the data regarding the affiliation of government and private schools was submitted to the Administrative Department on time.

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In an exclusive conversation with Greater Kashmir, former Union Minister said he remained broadly a “Congress man” but cannot vouch that the party was in a vibrant situation here.

“But they have their presence here, the party structure is intact, they have their president, party is engaged in politics here as well,” he said. He however said that despite being a Congressman he cannot compel the party to think about the present political situation of J&K as he thinks.

“That cannot be possible. Congress is an all-India party. It has its constitution, its policy. I am a Ccongressman but I am not a slave to the Congress party. I deal with Sonia Ji occasionally and with Rahul Gandhi as well but I am a free man,” he said. He further said the party leadership at times consult him when it comes to policy making.

“Broadly, the Congress politics is very good for every religion. Congress party’s constitution is the togetherness of India. The togetherness of the nation is best explained through the constitution of All India Congress,” he told Greater Kashmir. “But as for the Kashmir situation, I don’t tell my party to join me and seek my special status. I am enough for that as a Kashmiri,” he said.

He said Congress was a national party and had limitations in seeking restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. “They cannot say they will use their might to restore the special status of J&K but otherwise, Congress will try as a secular party to own the people along with their thinking,” he said. About the prevailing situation in J&K, former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz said the J&K was going through an unstable situation in which people of Kashmir are feeling distraught with the Central Government.

“People have a permanent anxiety in their mind. The overwhelming majority of the people feel distressed with the abrogation of Article 370 by GoI,” he said. He said that the claims made by the present BJP government about the normal situation in J&K were far from reality. “They go on saying anything but the fact is that what they did in 2019 was not acceptable to the people of Kashmir,” he said.

Asked about the claims of a normalcy and peaceful situation in J&K, Prof Soz said the people have changed their strategy as going for shutdown has its own economical consequences.

“It is not a concession to the PM Modi Government. It is a change in the strategy because people thought that Hartal causes losses in the trade. But they are waiting for an opportunity. This is what I should say initially,” he said. He said the BJP government in 2019 abrogated Article 370 without consulting the people. “But I must tell you the people of J&K will never compromise on this Article because it came out of a struggle which gave a special status to J&K,” he said. He said if not the present generation but the next generation will fight for restoration of Article 370.

“Nobody here including Omar Abdullah has accepted the abrogation of Article 370. There is a mainstream group of politicians here and none of them believe that Article 370 has gone permanently,” he said.

He said people are afraid to speak up and express their views but “Article 370 was abrogated through a system of trickery.” “The Article 370 did not come on a platter but the State’s tallest leader Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah had struggled for it. Therefore, it is a kind of legacy that has been transferred to this generation,” former Union Minister said.

“How people act and react will depend on the circumstances, but it is in the mind and hearts of people.” About the present system of governance in J&K, Saifuddin Soz said that terming it a double engine government was a propaganda. “There is a proper constitution according to which the GoI has to perform within its four walls and the J&K government will perform within the same boundary. Nobody can go out of the constitution,” he said. About his political relationship with former Union Minister and former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Soz said he had no compulsion to deal with individual political entities. “Ghulam Nabi Azad is a political entity. He is welcome to his ideas. I am not responsible for what he thinks of politics. About the performance of the present Omar Abdullah led government, Saifuddin Soz said the CM made a “good statement” recently that they should be judged at the end of their term.

“He (Omar) recently said that they have got a mandate for five years and people should not judge them in the first year as the government will prove its performance after completing five years,” he said. “I cannot guarantee that he can stand that test but we can wait.”

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The move comes amid the complaints against the JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) affiliated private schools for prescribing textbooks of the private publishers in violation of the government orders to adopt JKBOSE textbooks for students of all classes. Over the last few months, the debate over usage of textbooks in private schools hit the headlines as the private schools were prescribing textbooks of the private publishers following the commencement of the new academic session in schools.

However, the order is to be implemented by the private schools affiliated with JKBOSE while the other schools affiliated with CBSE and other Boards for curriculum are not bound to follow the JKBOSE order.

Amid this, scores of the schools were applying for switching their affiliations with other boards. Over the past years, the private schools were supposed to obtain several NoCs from the J&K School Education Department (SED) due to which files of the scores of the schools were awaiting the permission. However, an official told Greater Kashmir that recently the CBSE has relaxed a few rules for the private schools to obtain permission for switching affiliations. “Earlier schools were bound to get NoC from the J&K school education department to apply for CBSE affiliation but now the rule has been relaxed. The schools can now directly apply for CBSE affiliation without obtaining NOC from SED,” an official told Greater Kashmir.

He said that as per the new rules, CBSE will directly seek objections from SED for granting affiliation to the private school. “The department has to reply to CBSE within one month otherwise it will be treated as the J&K government has no objection in it,” the official said. It may be recalled that a high level team of officers from Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) Ministry of Education (MoE) during their visit to Kashmir in September last year had suggested setting up a regional office of CBSE in J&K. Director NCERT, Dinesh Prasad Saklani and Chairperson CBSE, Rahul Singh were also part of the delegation in Kashmir.

As per the official document, the CBSE last year made amendments in affiliation Bye-Laws with regard to permit schools to apply for affiliation with or without NOC from the concerned government. “In case the school applies for the affiliation without NOC, then the Board shall write to the concerned State government to obtain their comments, if any, on the application of the school for the affiliation with the Board,” an official document of CBSE reads. It reads that the department may furnish its comments regarding the said application, if any, at the link provided in the letter. “In case no comments are received within 30 days, a reminder will be sent to the concerned State Education Department to raise their objection, if, any, within 15 days, failing which, it shall be deemed that the State government does not have any objection on the grant of affiliation to the school by the Boar,” the official document reads.

“The application of the school will be considered for grant of affiliation, if it otherwise fulfills the conditions for grant of the affiliation as per the affiliation Bye-Laws-2018 of the Board,” the document reads.

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As already reported by this newspaper, the post of the JKBOSE Chairman has been lying vacant for more than a year following the expiry of the tenure of the then chairman, Prof Parikshat Singh Manhas.

Following the expiry of his tenure, the J&K government in December 2024 reconstituted a Search Committee to recommend a panel of names for the post of JKBOSE Chairman, while the charge of the post was given to the then Principal Secretary, School Education Department (SED).

Whilst there was no headway in the appointment of the JKBOSE chairman, the officer holding the additional charge of the post was shifted from Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequently, the charge was given to another IAS officer who attained superannuation on December 31, 2025.

In the meantime, the panel of candidates recommended by the Search Committee was not processed further by the J&K government until it expired after the passage of six months.

In the wake of this, the government started another exercise at the administrative department level for the post of the JKBOSE Chairman.

After the passage of a few months, the Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet approved the name of a candidate for the post.

However, the process, according to top officials, has been caught in official wrangles for “some reasons.”

The process has been halted at a time when JKBOSE is readying for the declaration of the results of Class 10th, 11th, and 12th examinations.

A top official in the School Education Department told Greater Kashmir that the final appointment of the candidate has been halted at some level due to “various reasons.”

“These days, it is not an easy job to get an appointment done so easily. We have to get clearance from different quarters,” the official said.

“As of now, the process is stuck, and there is no clarity yet about the appointment of the candidate as chairman of JKBOSE,” he added.

Minister for Education Sakina Itoo, when contacted, did not divulge any details about the process. She, however, said the government will make some arrangement keeping in view the timely declaration of the results. “We are aware that results are almost ready and cannot be declared unless they are approved by the JKBOSE Chairman. We will make some arrangements in the coming week,” she said.

Earlier, Greater Kashmir reported that there was no clarity about the declaration of results of Class 10th to 12th examinations as JKBOSE was rendered headless by the government.

As per the policy in vogue, the results cannot be declared without holding a meeting of the Result Declaration Committee, headed by the JKBOSE Chairman.

“Before declaring the result, a meeting of the result declaration committee is convened to finalise the result and resolve any issues about it. But JKBOSE is without a chairman, due to which there is no clarity about the declaration of the result,” an official told Greater Kashmir.

The annual regular-2025 examination of Class 10th to 12th students commenced in November 2025.

As per official figures, 94,783 students—68,804 from Kashmir and 25,224 from winter zone areas of Jammu division, besides 660 from Kargil and 95 from Leh district—registered for the Class 10th JKBOSE examination this year.

The examination for Class 11th and 12th students was scheduled from November 19 to November 8, 2025, respectively.

Approximately 81,622 students—64,001 from Kashmir and 17,621 from winter zone areas of Jammu—registered for the Class 11th examination, whilst 70,117 students—56,423 from Kashmir and 13,694 from winter zone areas of Jammu—registered for the Class 12th examination.

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From schools grappling with shortened academic sessions to universities earning prestigious national rankings, the year witnessed both breakthrough moments and systemic disruptions that continue to test the region’s educational resilience.

At the school level, the academic session suffered significant setbacks with decreased working days, forcing the government to announce a 15 percent syllabus relaxation for classes 10-12 ahead of annual examinations—an unprecedented concession that raised questions about learning standards.

The disruptions stemmed from multiple crises: prolonged school closures during Operation Sindoor, flood-like conditions, and a summer heatwave that kept students away from classrooms for extended periods.

Compounding these challenges, the National Achievement Survey (NAS) conducted in November 2024 and released in July 2025 revealed poor learning outcomes among students. The School Education Department responded by launching district-wide programmes to assess learning gaps and develop long-term remedial measures.

Amid these difficulties, the JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) achieved a historic milestone by declaring results for both Class 10 and Class 12 annual examinations on the same day—announcing outcomes for 248,979 students (145,671 in Class 10 and 103,308 in Class 12) without technical glitches.

In an unprecedented move, JKBOSE also conducted two full annual examinations in a single year for classes 10, 11, and 12. The 2024 batch appeared for exams in February, while the 2025 batch sat for their papers in November—a logistical feat aimed at normalizing the academic calendar.

The board also accelerated textbook distribution to educational zones to ensure books reach students promptly when schools reopen in March 2026.

The School Education Department stirred controversy with plans to introduce Sanskrit as a mandatory subject in Kashmir’s schools from classes 6-10. After initiating an extensive exercise to assess teacher availability and vacancies, the department quietly shelved the proposal following media scrutiny.

The Higher Education Department recorded a nine percent increase in overall college admissions this year, but newly established Government Degree Colleges struggled with enrollment. Government Degree College Allochi Bagh faced closure due to zero student enrollment, forcing the transfer of eight faculty members to other institutions.

Universities delivered the year’s brightest success stories. The University of Kashmir secured an A++ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a CGPA of 3.68—becoming the first J&K institution evaluated under NAAC’s revised, more rigorous framework.

KU jumped from 45th to 34th position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 university category, marking its third consecutive year among India’s top 50 universities. It also ranked 59th in the overall category and 8th among state public universities nationwide.

The university mobilised Rs 50 crore in research funding, with its Centre for Interdisciplinary Research & Innovations receiving Rs 6 crore from ICMR for cancer studies. Additionally, 38 candidates from KU’s residential coaching programme cleared JKCCE Prelims 2025, while engineering students secured BEL placements with Rs 12 lakh annual packages.

KU earned national recognition for translating India’s Constitution into Kashmiri for the first time—a work released by the President of India.

The Central University of Kashmir reached a major milestone as the Ministry of Education approved a revised cost estimate of Rs 998.62 crore for its permanent campus at Tulmulla, Ganderbal, including Rs 400.80 crore for capital expenditure (2025-28) and Rs 146.98 crore for recurring costs.

The Islamic University of Science and Technology received the prestigious 6th National Water Award from the President in November and achieved a historic first by placing in the 151-200 band in both university and engineering categories, and in the 51-100 band among state public universities in NIRF 2025.

However, the National Institute of Technology Srinagar remained without leadership throughout the year, as the Ministry of Education failed to fill the director’s post.

A critical year ahead as the contrast between progress and persistent challenges sets the stage for a defining year ahead. Whether 2026 can transform ambitious plans for “Academic Excellence” into sustained, measurable improvements remains the critical question facing J&K’s education sector.

The post Learning crisis meets NAAC glory: J&K’s education paradox appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

A top official told Greater Kashmir that the result cannot be declared without holding a meeting of Result Declaration Committee which is headed by the Chairman JKBOSE.

“Before declaring the result, a meeting of result declaration committee is convened to finalise the result and resolve any issues pertaining to it. But JKBOSE is without a chairman, due to which there is no clarity about declaration of the result,” the official said.

As already reported by this newspaper, the J&K government on December 13 of 2024 reconstituted a search committee for recommending the panel of the candidates for the appointment as Chairman JKBOSE and the Director Jammu and Kashmir State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

The Search Committee on April 4, 2025 held interaction with the shortlisted candidates for the post of Chairman JKBOSE and Director SCERT.

Following the interactions, a panel of three candidates each for the post of Chairman JKBOSE and Director SCERT, was submitted to the government to finalise the selection of the candidates.

Surprisingly, there was no headway in the process till the validity of the panel expired in six months.

Amid the delay in appointment of permanent chairman of JKBOSE, the charge was managed by the former Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Higher Education Department (HED) Shantmanu, who attained superannuation on December 31 of 2025.

Following this, JKBOSE was rendered headless leading to uncertainty about the declaration of the result.

“The result is in its final stage and at this crucial time, government should have not left the institution headless. The government should have given the charge of Chairman JKBOSE to some equivalent rank officer till the appointment of the permanent chairman of JKBOSE,” the official said.

The official said that JKBOSE was ready to declare the result of class 10^th on January 6 or 7 of 2026 but the delay in holding meeting of result declaration committee led to uncertainty.

This newspaper earlier reported that the JKBOSE was all set to declare the result of annual regular-2025 class 10th examination by the first week of January this year followed by the declaration of the result of class 12th and 11th class students by 3rd and last week of the January month.

“But we are now clueless without chairman. The declaration of the result has to be time bound process otherwise it has its own implications,” the official told Greater Kashmir.

This year, the annual regular-2025 examination of class 10th to 12th students commenced on November month of 2025.

As already reported by this newspaper, JKBOSE had announced 15 percent relaxation for students in class 10th, 11th and 12th annual examinations, in view of the disruptions faced by the students during the academic session.

As per the official figures, 94783 students- 68804 from Kashmir and 25,224 students from winter zone areas of Jammu division besides 660 students from Kargil and 95 from Leh district registered for the class 10th JKBOSE examination this year.

Also, the examination for class 11th and 12th students was scheduled from November 19 and November 8 of 2025 respectively.

Approximately, 81622 students – 64001 from Jammu and 17621 from winter zone areas of Jammu have registered for class 11th examination while 70117 students—56423 from Kashmir and 13694 from winter zone areas of Jammu have registered for class 12th examination.

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The decision will be applicable for both secondary (10th) and senior secondary (11th and 12th) class students.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Secretary JKBOSE Ghulam Hassan Sheikh said that the provisions allow the Board to discard the old course syllabi for private examination.

“More than three years have passed, but we were continuing the practice of prescribing question papers from old and new courses for the students in private exams,” he told Greater Kashmir.

He said that it was adding an unnecessary burden of printing cost on JKBOSE.

“So we took a review of the issue and decided to discard the old course as it is allowed as per the provisions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Director Academic JKBOSE has also issued a notification in this regard stating that JKBOSE will discard the practice of prescribing question papers from the old course.

“Students and other stakeholders of secondary and senior secondary examination, old course, who have to appear in ensuing Annual private /bi-annual examination 2026 are informed that the question papers for re-appear and those who failed in the previous exams, will be henceforth set from the syllabus and courses of studies as is presently in vogue for the regular students of the academic session 2024-25 and 2025-26,” the JKBOSE notification reads.

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