NEW DELHI: Admissions of students from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to educational institutions in the northern state of Uttarakhand have fallen sharply in recent years, according to Indian media reports, amid allegations of discrimination.
The New Indian Express reported that the number of Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand has dropped significantly, from around 6,000 in previous years to about 2,000.
The decline has been attributed to concerns over safety and rising incidents of harassment of Kashmiri students in Indian educational institutions.
The Indian media outlet reported that the fall in enrolment was between 67 and 77 percent.
The report linked the trend to growing insecurity faced by students and traders from the region.
Harassment allegations
According to the media reports, incidents of discrimination and harassment against Kashmiri students increased following the 2019 Pulwama attack, which heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
Some students and business owners from the Indian occupied region have reportedly chosen to relocate to other states or discontinue their education due to security concerns, the reports said.
Vacant teaching posts in Kashmir
Meanwhile, authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir informed the local assembly that a majority of lecturer posts for teaching the Kashmiri language in higher secondary schools remain vacant.
In a written reply to a question by Srinagar legislator Mubarak Gul, the School Education Department said that of 27 sanctioned posts for Kashmiri lecturers in the Kashmir division, only five are currently filled.
The remaining 22 posts are vacant across nine districts.
Official data showed that all five sanctioned posts in Kupwara district are vacant.
In Baramulla, Ganderbal and Pulwama, two posts each remain unfilled.
Of four sanctioned posts each in Anantnag and Budgam, three are vacant.
Bandipora and Kulgam have two vacancies each, while one post is vacant in Shopian.
Authorities also stated that Kashmiri is not currently taught as a subject in schools in the Jammu division.
Political reactions
Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of India’s parliament and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological affiliate, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In an interview, Owaisi said the BJP was promoting policies aimed at reshaping India along religious lines.
He criticised a government order making respect for the song “Vande Mataram” mandatory, saying loyalty to India should not be tested through slogans.
“The Constitution begins with us and not with slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’,” Owaisi said, adding that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
The decline in student enrolment and the shortage of language lecturers come amid broader political tensions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir since New Delhi revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status in 2019.
Critics argue that Kashmiri students and residents continue to face social and institutional challenges.
