J-K Flood Crisis: ‘Students lose books, homes’, JKSA urges postponement of competitive exams

The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha seeking postponement of all competitive and recruitment exams, including JKPSC Plus-2 Lecturer and JKSSB JE (Electrical) exams, in view of the widespread destruction and devastation caused by the natural calamity.

Jammu and Kashmir has been facing incessant rains, flash floods, and landslides for the last ten consecutive days, claiming lives, damaging property, and disrupting normal life across several districts.

In the letter, the JKSA said that the students are the worst affected .Many have lost their homes, books, notes, and other study materials in the floods. Road connectivity and internet services have been disrupted, further affecting the exam preparations.

The 270-kilometre-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for vehicular traffic for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, with work underway on war-footing to restore a badly damaged 250-metre-long stretch in the Udhampur district.

“In such dire circumstances, preparing for upcoming examinations has become an impossible challenge for thousands of aspirants,” the letter stated.

Postpone JKPSC, JKSSB exams

The J-K students stressed that conducting exams during a humanitarian crisis would be “denying aspirants a fair chance and deepening their trauma”.

“At this critical juncture, when examinations conducted by JKPSC and JKSSB, particularly the Plus-2 Lecturer and JE Electrical recruitment examination; are fast approaching, students find themselves under extreme distress and disadvantage,” it added.

Requesting postponement of all exams scheduled for September, the students association said: “This compassionate step would provide much-needed relief to the affected students, restore a sense of fairness, and allow them to prepare adequately once the situation normalizes.”

Meanwhile, the Directorate of School Education, Jammu and Kashmir, instructed school principals to ensure the readiness of schools to reopen and resume offline classes from September 10.