Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department has said that there was a decline in enrolment in colleges across the region—thus raising a serious concern about the future of the Gen-Z youth.
The grievances of halting the education in many science subjects as a major subject comes as a shocker to the students.
Reports suggest that the students after qualifying the 12th standard exams are opting for distance education for their bachelors degree and simultaneously go for the technical courses.
In recent years, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has witnessed an upsurge in undergraduate courses with experts suggesting that if the trend continues, the degree colleges across Jammu and Kashmir may face the major decline in the establishments.
Earlier, this year it was reported that the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department had exempted at least 64 Government Degree Colleges functioning in the region from making admissions through CUET score for academic session 2024-25.
A few years back, the administration had announced the establishment of 52 more degree colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. The move hasn’t proved fruitful because majority of the colleges are yet to start and some are reeling under acute student enrolment issues.
There is a need to introduce the technical courses in the colleges which the students find as job driven courses.
Besides, there is a further need to introduce the contemporary courses that can be taught in colleges to overcome the outdated and obsolete course.
In the times of Artificial Intelligence, focus should be on technical and skill based courses as envisaged in New Education Policy (NEP). The government must Introduce AI and other relevant modern courses in every college.
The education system in Kashmir requires long-term speculation especially in updating the infrastructure and curriculum.