Aishmuqam, Mar 6: The absence of a Degree College at Aishmuqam in South Kashmir’s Islamabad (Anantnag) district has forced a large number of students to discontinue their studies and those pursuing their academic careers have to travel long distances to reach to their respective educational institutions.
 “There are more than 35 villages connected with Aishmuqam and hundreds of students pass out from the sole Higher Secondary School every year,” the locals said.
 Sources in the Education department reveal that 200 to 350 students of the HSS pass the examination, but more than half of them leave the studies mid-way because their families cannot afford to send them to other areas to continue higher education.
 “A fraction of these students do appear in B.A examination as private candidates despite having the talent to excel in Medical, Engineering, IT, Social and other fields if provided the facility of a Degree College,” says Aarif Veeray, a resident of Aishmuqam.
 Some of the students intending to continue studies have to get admission in district’s lone Government Degree College, (Islamabad) Anantnag or other institutions in Srinagar. “We simply cannot send our daughters to (Islamabad) Anantnag area, or other distant areas for pursuing studies because of financial constraints and the worsening law and order situation,” says Ghulam Rasool Khar, a shopkeeper.
 He said the male students also have to face hassles and huge inconvenience during their travel to the college and back home during summers.
 The shortage of public transport and increasing number of dogs in the area is another major problem that students face while going to the colleges in Islamabad (Anantnag) and Srinagar. “I keep on praying for my daughter all the time until she returns home safely,” says Fatima, a resident of Badaran, adding, she had been regularly taking her daughter to the bus stop during the morning hours, which was a kilometer away from her village, and back home daily for the last two years.
 Residents of Aishmuqam requested the higher authorities that a degree college for this area should be kept in list of construction of Degree Colleges so that the youth can continue the studies further.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST