Srinagar: The University of Kashmir (KU) has cancelled its proposed second phase of admissions for the current year after examinations of outgoing undergraduates was delayed due to lockdown in the valley, officials said.
The second phase of admission was planned by the KU for November in addition to the routine admissions undertaken in spring.
The move was expected to compensate lost academic period of undergrad students whose examinations and degrees have been delayed since the 2014 floods and unrest in the subsequent years in Kashmir.
To enable the college pass-outs appear in the November entrance test, the KU had planned the combined 5th and 6th semester examinations in August this year.
However, due to the lockdown in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, the combined semester examination has not been conducted prompting the KU administration to cancel the November admissions, a top official at the university told Kashmir Reader.
He said the November entrance test had specifically been scheduled to save the academic year of the students.
The combined 5th and 6th semester examinations will be held by December, the official hoped. Colleges affiliated with KU have already asked the students of both the semesters to collect the study material from the institutes.
Director Admissions at KU, Prof Irshad A Nawchoo said the combined examination of 5th and 6th semester students will be conducted shortly to enable them appear in the upcoming entrance test in March.
A top KU official informed that there will be only the routine spring admission session at the varsity now on.
Earlier, the Kashmir University had said the “policy decision” to hold two admissions this year had been “consciously taken for the benefit of the students”.
However, opposing the move, the Kashmir University Teachers’ Association (KUTA) had said the two admission sessions this year will rather “create an academic mess” at the KU.

Irshad Khan