The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) announced the indefinite postponement of Class 10th and 11th bi-annual exams scheduled for September 12, 2025, across J&K and Ladakh, citing escalating law and order disturbances in Doda district. The decision affects over 1.5 lakh students, marking the third delay this session after earlier disruptions from floods and cloudbursts. A revised schedule will be notified separately, with officials prioritizing student safety amid restrictions on public movement and transport under Section 144.
The unrest stems from the September 8 arrest of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act (PSA), sparking protests that detained over 80 supporters and led to clashes with security forces. Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh highlighted Malik’s “provocative speeches” as a trigger for public disorder, with the PSA dossier exceeding 250 pages. This political friction has compounded educational challenges; J&K’s youth unemployment stands at 23% (CMIE data, 2025), and exam delays risk widening the opportunity gap for 68% rural students reliant on government schools.
JKBOSE’s bi-annual exams, serving as second chances for 40% of repeaters, commenced on September 8 but faced initial halts due to August floods that damaged 500 schools and displaced 2,000 classrooms. The board’s move echoes similar postponements on September 3 and August 27, affecting 20,000 candidates per session. “Safety first; online resources will aid preparation,” JKBOSE stated, urging checks on jkbose.nic.in. In Doda, where literacy hovers at 60% (below national 77%), the unrest has closed 150 institutions temporarily.
Broader implications include alignment with NEP 2020’s flexible assessments, but delays could push completion beyond October, impacting higher education admissions—J&K’s gross enrollment ratio is 28%, lagging national 27.3%. Parents and educators call for hybrid models, while the government deploys 1,000 counselors. As protests simmer, with AAP vowing Supreme Court challenges, this postponement underscores J&K’s intertwined socio-political fabric, where 15% of students faced exam disruptions last year due to unrest. Resolution could restore normalcy, ensuring equitable access for the region’s 1.2 million schoolgoers.