Opposition, Civil Society Lash Out at Govt Over Prolonged Vacancy at JKBOSE
By Sakib JKBOSE
Srinagar, Jan 9:
The Jammu and Kashmir government is facing mounting criticism for failing to appoint a permanent Chairman to the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), leaving the key academic body headless for nearly a year.
The tenure of the former JKBOSE Chairman ended on January 25, 2025. Since then, the post remained without a regular appointee. For about a year, the additional charge was held by the former Financial Commissioner of the Higher Education Department (HED) until his retirement on December 31, 2025. For the past 10 days, however, JKBOSE has been functioning without any head, as no interim arrangement has been made.
The leadership vacuum has directly impacted students, with the declaration of Class 10th results—initially expected in the first week of January—being delayed.
Political leaders and civil society members have strongly condemned the government’s inaction, accusing it of neglecting the education sector. Apni Party President and former Education Minister Altaf Bukhari termed the situation “unfortunate,” saying the government’s failure to appoint a Chairman for over a year reflected poorly on its seriousness towards academics.
“This is an academic post and should not be dragged into politics,” Bukhari told Greater Kashmir. He suggested that if appointing a new Chairman was proving difficult, the government could have handed over interim charge to the Secretary JKBOSE, as had been done in the past.
“We have done it earlier. There was no reason not to do it now,” he said.
Bukhari further questioned why the appointment process was stalled despite reports that a panel of candidates had been finalised last year, calling the delay a sign of “sheer incompetence and non-seriousness” towards education.
People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone also criticised the government, saying he was not surprised by the delay.
“I would have been surprised if they had appointed the Chairman on time,” he remarked, adding that the present government’s functioning reflected a lack of accountability.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the J&K Civil Society Forum (JKCSF), Abdul Qayoom Wani, described the delay as an act of “administrative apathy and political callousness” that was jeopardising the future of lakhs of students.
“Keeping JKBOSE headless at such a crucial time has paralysed the institution and pushed students and families into severe stress and uncertainty,” Wani said.
He warned that the continued delay had disrupted academic schedules, admissions, and career planning, while appealing to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately appoint a competent full-time Chairman.
“Education cannot be held hostage to bureaucratic delays or political interests. Every day of inaction robs students of opportunity,” Wani said, stressing that accountability must be fixed to prevent a repeat of such negligence.
— Sakib JKBOSE
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