KNZ NEWS DESK
While the college students and teachers from Kashmir division and winter zone of Jammu have been demanding summer vacations, the state government seems to be indecisive over the matter.
A group of college students said it has been the practice for past many years that in summers there will be 10-15 days vacation but this year the government is yet to announce the holidays.
“School students already had summer vacations, polytechnic students were also given summer break and summer vacation in Jammu colleges has also been announced but we fail to understand why government didn’t announce it for Kashmir colleges,” said a female students, who was leading the group.
She said students enrolled in Kashmir colleges also need a break as was availed by their counterparts in Jammu and those from polytechnic colleges and schools in Kashmir.
President of College Teachers Association (CTA), Tariq Ashai, said: “The vacation calendar has been strictly adhered by the universities, medical colleges, technical education department and school education department but degree colleges under higher education department have been left out,”
Ashai, said college teachers fall in the category of vacation departments and are entitled to two months vacations (50 days winter and 10 days summer) instead of one month earned leave which employees of non-vacation departments are entitled to.
Ashai said CTA has also submitted a representation to the Advisor to Governor, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai in this regard.
An official in the higher education department, who wished not to be named, said the government is indecisive about announcement of summer vacation for colleges as it has the feedback that students in colleges had less number of working days this academic year.
“Otherwise official announcement would have been made a week ago as vacations are mostly announced from August 1 for a period of 10 or 15 days,” the official said, adding that the announcement has been withheld as deliberations are still going over the issue.
“The department may or may not announce summer vacations for colleges this year, it will be decided after getting proper feedback from all the concerned,” he said.
When contacted commissioner secretary for higher education department, Sarita Chauhan said nothing has been finalised with regard to the summer vacation for colleges in Kashmir so far.
