Despite their qualifications and dedication, ‘Need-Based Academic Arrangement’ leaves scholars with meagre salaries and limited respect, which threatens the future of education in Jammu & Kashmir.

The life of an academician in Jammu & Kashmir, especially under the label of “Need-Based Academic Arrangement”, is an emotional rollercoaster. It begins with hope and dreams, like many students across the country, who, from their high school days, harbour a desire for a better future through education. The path they choose is far from easy.

For many, this journey stretches beyond high school and into a long, painstaking road towards postgraduate degrees and higher educations. These candidates burn the midnight oil, devoting themselves to their studies, preparing rigorously for national-level exams like the UGC/CSIR NET. With relentless hard work, many successfully clear these exams, a significant achievement that opens the doors to academic careers. But it’s not just the exam; the battle doesn’t end here.

The next phase of their journey is equally demanding, requiring immense patience and perseverance during their PhD research. For years, they devote themselves to scholarly pursuits, often sacrificing personal time, enduring rejections, and painstakingly working towards publishing their research. These publications, the culmination of years of work, become their ticket to earning the prestigious title of “Doctor of Philosophy.”

But despite all this—despite their qualifications, their success in national-level exams, and their commitment to their fields—they are welcomed into the academic world under a title that breaks their spirit: “Need-Based Academic Arrangement.”

Here, the sorrow deepens.

Unlike their peers in other parts of the country, such as Ladakhin July 2024, and Haryana in June 2019 respected with a proper title and are awarded the pay scales of an Assistant Professor1,2, these candidates in Jammu and Kashmir face an entirely different reality. Their work is no less significant; their qualifications are just as credible, yet the disparity in treatment is glaring.

While candidates in other regions earn a justifiable salary of Rs 57,700, those in Jammu & Kashmir are forced to survive on a meagre Rs 28,000. The term “Need-Based Academic Arrangement” itself haunts them, for it’s not just a title; it’s a label that diminishes their identity and worth. The sting of this label is felt even more deeply when they attempt to move outside J&K, where their experience is often disregarded simply because their nomenclature does not fit the national standards.

For years, the title has been changed and redefined by various policies, but the core issue remains the same. These candidates are left in limbo, their years of dedication reduced to an insignificant “arrangement.” The name and position don’t translate into recognition or respect in other states or institutions. Their experiences, once accumulated with so much effort, vanish the moment they step outside Jammu and Kashmir.

This reality is harsh and cruel. The equal work, equal pay principle that applies elsewhere is ignored here. Instead, they are trapped in a cycle of uncertainty—struggling to make ends meet, yearning for fair treatment, and battling a system that continues to fail them.

These are not just academic professionals; they are individuals with dreams, aspirations, and families to support. Their struggles are real, their pain is genuine. And it is time their voices are heard, not just as “need-based” candidates, but as qualified academicians deserving of equal respect, pay, and opportunity.

The situation has grown so dire that some PhD holders in Kashmir, unable to find stable and fair academic positions, and after 12 years Dr Manzoor Hassan and Dr Masood serving as an academic arrangement have resorted to selling dry fruits on carts to make ends meet3. This tragic reality speaks volumes about the state of opportunities for highly educated individuals in the region. Despite their years of dedication to academic excellence, these scholars are left with no choice but to seek alternative livelihoods, a stark reminder of the systemic failure to provide them with the respect, pay, and positions they rightfully deserve.

In a time where education is hailed as the foundation of progress, we must ask ourselves: Is this the treatment our educators deserve?

This disparity in treatment not only affects the morale of educators but also threatens the quality of future education. When qualified professionals are undervalued and forced to work under unfair conditions, this lead to a decline in the standard of education. If this continues, the real victims will be the students, who will be deprived of the guidance and expertise they deserve, causing long-term harm to the educational ecosystem.

This is not just their fight—it is ours too. For when those who shape the minds of the future are left struggling in the present, we as a society must confront this inequity. It’s time to change the narrative for academic candidates in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s time to give them the dignity, respect, and rightful pay that they deserve.

The writer is a research scholar at the Lovely Professional University, Punjab

By Sheikh Umar

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Sheikh Umar