Apprehensions and rumours across Kashmir around the Supreme Court hearing the Article 35A case this week has resulted in students’ examinations being postponed and class work in universities suspended.
The government has already extended winter vacations of colleges and schools to contain the effects of the apprehensions and the rumour mill.
Authorities at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora have suspended class work and postponed all exams until Thursday.
“All exams are postponed and classwork has been suspended till February 28,” vice-chancellor IUST Prof. Mushtaq Sidique told Greater Kashmir, adding the varsity may be able to hold exams scheduled from March 1.
An official of the varsity however said the decision to postpone the exams and suspend the classwork was taken in view of the panic-like situation and uncertainty prevailing across Kashmir.
“There is chaos in entire Kashmir and we don’t want to take any risk in the prevailing situation,” an official said.
Also, the hostel boarders of the varsity claimed they were asked to vacate “till further orders.”
“It created more panic among students as they were asked to leave the hostels,” said an engineering student of IUST.
However, another official said the hostel boarders were not “forced” to vacate but were given the option to go home.
“We have given them a choice that if they want to go home they can. Some students are actually disturbed that they may not get transport for home after February 26 in case anything adverse happened,” the official said, referring to the hearing of Article 35 A case in the top court in coming days.
The cluster university of Srinagar (CUS) has already postponed its entrance and second semester exams scheduled on Monday (February 25).
The JK Board of School Education (BOSE) also rescheduled the bi-annual exam of class 10th escheduled from March 2. Earlier, the exams were to start from February 25.
“The exam has been rescheduled given the disturbances over hearing of Article 35 A,” a JKBOSE official said.