In the wake of persistent demand from the aspirants to have a separate exam centre in Kashmir valley for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), the governor administration has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Governor’s advisor, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai said he has taken up the matter with the secretary higher education department, MHRD regarding the separate exam centre for GATE aspirants in Kashmir.
“Tomorrow I will again talk to him and see what we can do for the students,” Ganai said.
GATE is an All-India examination administered and conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and seven Indian Institutes of Technology on behalf of the National Coordinating Board -GATE, Department of Education in ministry of human resources development (MHRD).
The GATE exam is scheduled from February 2 to 10 but Kashmir is left without centre for the aspirants, forcing them to travel outside state.
“Some aspirants can miss the exams due to harsh weather conditions,” an aspirant said.
The aspirants have urged the governor administration to resolve the grievance in the larger interest of students.
“Candidates living in cut off areas of Kashmir won’t be able to reach their exam centres in Jammu in February when Kashmir faces harsh winters,” said Yasir, an aspirant.
He said that no candidate from Kashmir will be able to appear in this prestigious exam due to continuous closure of Jammu Srinagar highway from past many days.
An official meanwhile said the government was trying its best to find an alternative to enable the candidates to appear in the exams.
“Government has taken a serious note of the demand and is vigorously chalking out plans under which the students can appear in the prestigious exams on the scheduled dates,” an official said.