Existing Acts of varsities to remain in force
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 6: Contrary to all apprehensions, there will be no adverse impact on admission prospects of local students in the educational institutions across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh after scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of the State into UTs.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2009, which is all set to be approved by the President of India following its passage in the Rajya Sabha as well as in the Lok Sabha, the existing State Act of all the universities in erstwhile State of J&K shall remain in force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh.
Hence, there will be no change in admission process or any adverse impact on prospects of local (within territorial jurisdiction) students in these institutions of higher education, where the non-locals have only a limited percentage of seats, provided they fall in the merit list while all the reserved category seats are meant for the locals only .
There are 166 existing State Acts, which shall remain in force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. These include the Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act , 1969; Jammu and Kashmir Cluster Universities Act , 2016; the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic University of Science and Technology Kashmir Act , 2005; Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Act, 2002; Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Act, 1982 and the University of Ladakh Act, 2018.
Therefore, the authorities at the helm of affairs told the Excelsior, the students residing within territorial jurisdiction of these universities will have no adverse impact on their admission prospects in these institutions under the changed status of J&K.
Pertinent to mention that the admissions in both the Central Universities in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the Mata Vaishno Devi University are already conducted at All India level as per the Central Universities Act and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act 1988, respectively.
However, in the Jammu University as well as in Kashmir University and both the Cluster Universities, only 10% non local students are eligible for admission, provided they fall in the merit. At SKUAST, the 77 percent seats are reserved for the locals while in BGSBU, only 10 percent students from outside the territorial jurisdiction are given admission.
On the other hand, the Universities in Union Territory of Delhi and Chandigarh have open admission at all India level with no reservation for the locals.
Further, there will also be no change in admission process and prospects of local students in the schools as well Private Colleges across Jammu Kashmir as the J&K Private Colleges (regulation and Control) Act 2002 and Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act, 2002 also shall remain in force in the new Union Territories.
Similarly, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination Act, 2002; J&K Board of School Education Act 1975; J&K State Board of Technical Education Act, 2002 and the J&K Prevention of Unfair Means Examination Act, 1987 shall also remain in force.
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