Urging upon the govt to end the uncertainty with regard to the future of millions of students of J&K, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman-JKNPP & former Minister said that mass promotion of all students was the only option in the present circumstances which needed to be announced immediately without any further delay. He said that it was practically impossible to hold the exams in the present scenario wherein the fast spreading Corona pandemic had posed grave risks to the life in general. “Any assembly of people or even small gatherings could prove disastrous in view of ever increasing number of infected people with reports of several asymptomatic cases also pouring in day in and day out. In such circumstances, holding exams would only amount to exposing the children to the threat of deadly virus which was wholly unadvisable. Even otherwise there was no class work during the past few months and the restrictions on 4G connectivity had adversely affected the academic environment in the newly created UT of J&K”, observed Singh.
Expressing further concern over the confusion prevailing with regard to the opening of educational institutions in the future, Mr. Singh called upon the helmsmen to refrain from making reckless statements without proper application of mind. He said that some statements were issued earlier suggesting opening of schools after mid June which were subsequently withdrawn as per the media reports. All such casual statements would only make confusion worse confounded and lead to further uncertainty, said Singh. He lamented that the govt was moving in fits and starts accompanied by reverses which would only evoke cynicism besides impacting upon governance. All moves of the govt needed to be well calculated and thoroughly deliberated in the light of prevalent circumstances and the sensitivities involved. The lives of students can’t be allowed to be risked only to satisfy the more loyal than the king attitude of some of the overzealous bureaucrats.
Seeking early announcement of mass promotion to all students to next higher level, the ex-Education Minister said that formal orders needed to issued immediately in view of growing tensions amongst the already stress impacted youth.