With the early onset of winters, Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department Thursday ordered that it will conduct online classes in all government degree colleges of Kashmir region from Dec-01-2023.

Special Secretary to the government Dr Ravi Shanker Sharma in a communique said, “Due to early onset of winter, students enrolled in Government Degree Colleges of Kashmir Division are facing major challenge in commuting to college and, thereby, attending classes.”

“Situation has got compounded due to disruption to normal class work with inadequate heating arrangements,” it reads.

The communique further states that with the implementation of admission based on merit and choice, students have to travel distances or stay in Hostel or stay in private accommodations which has put them to severe hardship due to early onset of harsh winter.

Ir reads, “In order to ensure unhindered academic delivery in adverse and extreme cold conditions, it is impressed upon all the Principals of Government Degree Colleges of Kashmir Division that classes will be conducted via online mode w.e.f. December-01-2023 till December-31-2023 or till winter vacations are announced, whichever is earlier.”

“Further, Principals of Govt. Degree Colleges of Kashmir Division are directed to ensure that the faculty will attend their respective colleges regularly and take their classes online from the colleges in order to complete the syllabus as per academic calendar,” the official said.

It also said that all internal examinations and semester-end examinations will be conducted as per notified schedule of universities or institutions.