SRINAGAR: With the board examination season at its peak, several students in Kashmir are facing significant challenges to their future. Many have been denied the opportunity to sit for their exams due to administrative lapses, raising concerns about the functioning of the authorities.
Toiba Yaqoob, a Class 10 student at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Khanyar, was among those barred from appearing in the exams. Despite completing all formalities, she was not issued her roll number slip, a mandatory document for sitting in the exams.
“I was told that I cannot appear in the exam unless I have my roll number slip,” Toiba said. Her designated examination centre was at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Nowhatta, but when she approached her school to collect the slip, she found that a roll number slip had been issued under the name “Toiba Fayaz” instead.
“When I went to the JKBOSE office to resolve the issue, they claimed they had never received my examination form,” she explained.
On the first day of the exams, despite pleading her case, she was turned away. “I had filled my form, completed all the formalities, but I don’t know how this happened,” she told a local Facebook page.
Her family made repeated attempts to get the issue resolved, but no one took responsibility. “We went to the school again and again, but to no avail. Nobody paid any heed,” a relative said. “This is clearly the fault of the school authorities, yet the child has to suffer.”
Toiba also accused the school authorities of playing a “blame game.” “They told me I might not have been a regular student, despite my full attendance. Meanwhile, another girl, who had not even filled the form, received a roll number slip,” she said in frustration.
Her mother expressed anger over the situation. “The school is admitting its mistake, but that won’t fix my child’s future. I know how hard she worked for this exam,” she said.
Toiba’s case is not an isolated incident. Tawfeeq Hassan Mir, a Class 12 student from Dapal Machil in North Kashmir, was also barred from appearing in his exams due to a tagging issue, putting his academic career in jeopardy.
Similarly, 22 students from Islamic Global School, Padshahi Bagh, were earlier denied their roll number slips despite submitting their forms two months ago. Their cases were only resolved after government intervention.
Earlier, JKBOSE had refused to register these students for the Class 10 Board exams despite multiple pleas from their school, parents, and even judicial orders. Desperate parents had even approached the Chief Minister’s office, but JKBOSE Chairman Parikshat Singh Manhas initially refused to issue their admit cards. The deadlock persisted even after a court ruled in favour of the students.
“These incidents highlight serious flaws in the education board’s functioning, leaving students to suffer the consequences of bureaucratic negligence,” said a parent. “When the government is quick to take action against individuals, why not act in such cases as well? Padhe likhe andpadhu ki wajah se bachon ka future tabah ho raha hai, aur qusoorwar maanne ko tayaar nahi hain (Because of educated illiterates, children’s future is being ruined, and they are not ready to accept their mistake).”
