The ban on high-speed or 4G internet is affecting research work of scholars in Kashmir and depriving them of opportunities to apply for fellowships in the universities worldwide.
The scholars said they were neither able to downloadresearch literature nor could they apply for fellowships offered by variousuniversities across world owing to slow speed internet.
A post-doctoral fellow at ICSSR, Zafar Ahmad Nadas saidearlier the eight months internet lockdown, post abrogation of Article 370 lastAugust, affected their research work.
Now, he said, the lockdown in the wake of coronavirus amidthe continued slow internet was adding to their frustration.
In August last year the centre abrogated J&K’s specialstatus and locked down the valley. The lockdown was followed by the longestshutdown in the democratic world, which was partially lifted on January 25 bythe government by resuming the 2G internet service.
However there is no word from the government on restoringthe 4G internet service. On April 15, the government, in its periodical review,ordered continuation of the ban on the 4G internet till April 27, when the nextreview will take place.
The scholar had uploaded his research questionnaire onvarious online platforms for response. However, owing to slow internet service,he was not getting the desired results.
“Google scholar, Research Gate, Academia and Researcher aresome websites where we can upload our papers. But with poor internet serviceeven these websites are inaccessible. In other states, one can interact withresearchers online, but here we have no alternative than to wait and hope forrestoration of the 4G service,” said the scholar.
He said scholars the delaying tactics in restoration of 4Gwas a “collective punishment.”