Syllabus axed to ensure exams on time

The Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to hold Classes X and XII board examinations this month as scheduled by curtailing 50% of the syllabus has attracted more protests and political statements over the issue. The J&K State Board of School Education (BOSE) chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt earlier announced that the said ex- ams would be held on the scheduled dates and that the admit cards of the students have been dispatched to their respective schools.

In what would be a big relief to the students, BOSE has decided to have choice based question papers as students have not been able to attend the classes for nearly four months due to unrest in the valley.

BOSE has decided to hold Class X examination from 15 November to 28 November and Class XII exams from 14 November to 3 December.

Professor Abdul Gani Madhosh, a prominent educationist, told the media that the curtailment of the syllabus will mean that the students will be at a disadvantageous position when they sit for national level entrance examinations. Many parents have expressed their worry regarding the safety of their wards, even after the govern- ment assured that they would ensure the safety of the students who will appear for the examinations.

The government decision came amid the reports that few more government schools have been torched in mysterious fire incidents. In the past few months, 32 schools have been burnt down in the Kashmir Valley with police claiming that they have arrested some miscreants responsible for it.

The police, however, has not disclosed their motive.

The BOSE has said the injured and arrested students will be given more relaxation. The separatists and the government have accused each other of risking the future of the students.

Meanwhile, the J&K police on Friday said that five youths were arrested in connection with burning of a government middle school at Tappar Pattan in North Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s “parenting rather than policing” instructions to the state police got a major fillip when an LeT militant of Tujjar Sopore surrendered. CM Mufti, who had recently appealed to J&K Police and the security forces to persuade the local boys to surrender rather than eliminate them, is upbeat about the development. Her government hopes that the Sopore surrender will encourage other local militants to surrender if they are caught in any encounter.

A senior police officer told this newspaper that under the new policy, police and security forces will try to persuade