SRINAGAR: The number of graduates emerging from government degree colleges across Jammu and Kashmir has fallen by nearly 23 per cent in three academic sessions, with official figures showing a pronounced decline in several districts.
The number of graduates from government degree colleges declined from 23,655 in 2023-24 to 21,153 in 2024-25 and further to 18,312 in 2025-26, a reduction of 5,343 graduates, or 22.6 per cent, in three years.
The decline has been recorded across both divisions, although its intensity varies considerably between districts.
In Jammu division, the number of graduates fell from 11,535 in 2023-24 to 8,644 in 2025-26, a decline of 25.1 per cent. Jammu district, which had 5,930 graduates in 2023-24, recorded 4,206 in 2024-25 and 3,906 in 2025-26, a fall of 34.1 per cent.
Rajouri witnessed one of the steepest declines, with graduate numbers falling from 1,593 to 799 and then to 728 over the three years, representing a decline of 54.3 per cent. Udhampur recorded a fall from 1,716 graduates in 2023-24 to 1,054 in 2024-25 and 895 in 2025-26, a decline of 47.8 per cent.
Doda’s graduate output fell from 874 to 646 and then 534, a decline of 38.9 per cent, while Poonch declined from 671 to 366 before recovering somewhat to 474 in 2025-26, still 29.4 per cent below its 2023-24 level.
Several districts in the Jammu division, however, recorded increases. Kishtwar rose from 211 graduates in 2023-24 to 343 in 2024-25 and 319 in 2025-26. Reasi increased from 145 to 350 before settling at 284, while Samba rose from 252 to 316 and then 298.
Ramban, which had only 22 graduates in 2023-24, recorded 194 in 2024-25 and 205 in 2025-26. Kathua also registered a sharp increase, from 121 graduates in 2023-24 to 1,053 in 2024-25 and 1,001 in 2025-26.
The large fluctuations in districts such as Kathua and Ramban indicate that changes in the college or programme structure may also have influenced the number of graduates and that the three-year figures cannot be interpreted solely as a measure of student preference.
The Kashmir division recorded a decline of 20.2 per cent, with the number of graduates falling from 12,120 in 2023-24 to 9,668 in 2025-26.
Srinagar, the largest contributor of graduates in the Valley, saw the number fall from 4,190 in 2023-24 to 4,002 in 2024-25 and 3,352 in 2025-26, a decline of 20 per cent.
Baramulla recorded a decline from 2,188 graduates to 1,866 and then 1,553, representing a fall of 29 per cent. Pulwama declined from 1,075 to 1,028 and then 802, a reduction of 25.4 per cent.
Kulgam recorded a particularly sharp contraction, with graduate numbers falling from 756 in 2023-24 to 753 in 2024-25 and 434 in 2025-26, a decline of 42.6 per cent.
Kupwara declined from 876 to 805 and then 657, while Bandipora fell from 368 to 396 before dropping to 281. The three-year decline in the two districts stood at 25 per cent and 23.6 per cent respectively.
Anantnag, after recording an increase from 1,476 graduates in 2023-24 to 1,683 in 2024-25, fell to 1,341 in 2025-26, leaving its output 9.1 per cent below the 2023-24 level.
Budgam also remained broadly stable, with graduate numbers moving from 452 to 620 and then 448 over the three years. Ganderbal recorded 275 graduates in 2023-24, 210 in 2024-25 and 289 in 2025-26, while Shopian increased from 464 to 463 and then 511.
The department has acknowledged that the decline in graduate numbers is occurring against a wider trend of falling admissions in a large number of government degree colleges, particularly those located in rural and remote areas.
The changing employment environment could be one factor behind the declining attraction of conventional degree programmes, as students increasingly assess higher education in terms of employment prospects. However, official sources say there is currently no consolidated course-wise employability rate for graduates of government degree colleges, universities and cluster universities in J&K.
The department has also said that no comprehensive uniform assessment has so far been conducted covering employment outcomes, placement rates, average salary packages and sector-wise absorption of graduates.
This makes it difficult to establish a direct statistical link between the shrinking graduate numbers and the employment market. The absence of such data, however, has itself emerged as a concern as the government reviews the future structure of higher education.
The Higher Education Department is now working on a framework for systematic assessment of graduate employability and employment outcomes, including placement rates, sector-wise absorption and skill requirements. It has also proposed strengthening career counselling, skill development, internships, placement support and industry-academia linkages.
A committee constituted to rationalise subjects and introduce new programmes has recommended a comprehensive programme-wise review of enrolment in government degree colleges and has also discussed adopting a cluster-based academic model.
The department is additionally considering new programmes aligned with emerging employment sectors, including Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cyber Security and Remote Sensing, particularly in colleges around Jammu and Srinagar where the required infrastructure and faculty can be developed.
The emerging picture is therefore one of a shrinking conventional undergraduate pipeline accompanied by a policy push to redesign government higher education around skills, employability and emerging sectors. Whether the decline reflects changing student aspirations, the employment prospects associated with conventional degrees, demographic factors, changes in college programmes or a combination of these factors will require more detailed course-wise enrolment and employment data to establish.
