State’s Education Minister Naeem Akhter regrets the villain’s image that he earned over his assertions that education is key to the overall growth and progress. These assertions, he said, led a militant outfit to issue a death threat only to be approved by the separatists. But all this, Akhter says in a detailed interview, has not forced him to change his views that Kashmir cannot ignore the global calendar while it may “enjoy” one of its own.

Naeem Akhtar

KASHMIR LIFE: Four months of turmoil and you are talking of examinations. Is it possible?

NAEEM AKHTER: You must understand one thing that we live in the world that has a calendar and the entire world follows it. In Kashmir, it is November and it is examination time and we should have it. We may super-imposed our own calendar on the larger global calendar but that only isolates us from the larger world at our own costs.

You must also understand that examinations are neither being held by me nor because of me. They are being held because it is year end. If I put on my cell phone, you will come to know how many people want examinations in time, both students and their parents. I get lot many people who want the examinations not to be delayed. But the problem is that they lack voice. Even a delegation of the students met the Chief Minister. As a society, we must support and ensure that our students appear in the examinations. There is no politics in this. Exams will be held on time and we do not want students to lose their precious time.

By denying education to ourselves, we are hurting only us. The more we harm our interests the farther will be resolution to our problems.

KL: But there are lot of students who were injured by pellets and there must be many more in the jails. They have not studied for a long time.

NA: People are only speculating about the students who have been injured in the current agitation. There is no concrete number. We are working on it and once that is done we will see what can be done about such students.

We have decided to offer certain concessions strictly as per the syllabus they have covered. Students need not to worry that they will be asked to write examinations for the syllabus they have not touched. We may give relaxations in the syllabus and the question papers will be set in a manner where every student will be taken care off. Many students study a certain portion of the syllabus first and many others study some other portion. We are exploring various options to provide some sort of relaxation to students like introduction of more choices in question papers, reduction in syllabus or other such options. The decision in this regard will be soon announced.

Examinations are being conducted for their own good, so that their academic year is not lost and they get maximum time for preparing for future competitive examinations.

They should also understand that this is not for the first time that the schools remained closed for such a long time. In 1969 when I was a student of the SP College, there was no class work for six months because police had barged into our classroom and resorted to lathi-charge in which one student Dilip Kumar was injured who eventually died. Even after that situation, examinations were held so that we do not lose a year.

“March session will have impact on the next academic year as well. When we will have exams next year, then the students have to wait for the results as well. It takes a lot of time.

KL: But there are lot of students who are jailed?

NA: I do not know how many but I can tell you one thing that jails have changed a lot in last many years. There is lot of emphasis of the government in making jails as reformation centres. The moment I came to know that some of the arrested youth are students of various classes, I quietly ordered posting of teachers in these detention centres who are formally teaching them. This was done to positively engage them in studies. We want to get them ready for examinations. Then I decided that we will hold their examinations there. I am trying to change the earlier system in which the police would drive these students in handcuffs to the examination centres that was severely impacting the ego of these students. Instead, we are holding their examination centres at their detention places. We will have a centre even for one student.

This is nothing new, by the way. There are lot of people who study in detention and have achieved a lot in their lives. We have many greats name who have written their examinations in jails. You see around, you will find them everywhere, in all fields.

KL: Will you be holding examinations for middles, metric and twelfth?

NA: You are not updated on what we have done in last one year. We have done away with no detention system because for us doing this was easier than other states. Now every student from fifth primary has to appear in the examination. It is pass or fail and in case somebody fails, he will be taught the same syllabus again during the winter vacations so that he appears in the examination again early spring and then get promoted the next class. So I am saying examinations, I am saying for all regardless of the examinations are being held by the Board, the university or the schools directly.

KL: There are voices in support of holding examinations in March that will make it at par with the rest of the plains.

NA: Voices are there but it lacks feasibility. You must be knowing that we have two academic calendars in the state – one suits the winter zone and other the summer zone. I investigated it when I assumed the charge and I traced the committee report that once examined it with Bagwan Sahay, the then governor as its head. It is a great document as its members have worked really hard to vindicate the wisdom in holding the examinations in Kashmir in autumn. It is a fact that adopting March will make Kashmiri students at par with the plains but he will be losing many months in a year. And in March most of the passes in Kashmir are under snow and the participation of these students is impossible.

March session will have impact on the next academic year as well. When we will have exams next year, then the students have to wait for the results as well. It takes a lot of time.

KL: And you took the issue of examinations to the people using media?

NA: No that was completely different. It was aimed at addressing a situation that started with the issue of a death threat to me by a militant outfit for “trying to open schools”. It was this threat that was approved by a senior political leader. I just wanted to make my point. It was not the issue of my personal security but for securing the future of J&K students. Otherwise, I do not like joining issues with elders.

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