Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Srinagar/Jammu: Class XII board examinations began peacefully inthe Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday with nearly 95 per cent of the 32,000 students writing their papers, marking the resumption of educational activity in the Valley after schools remained shut for over four months due to the unrest.
Barring a few minor law and order incidents in some places, the test on the first day was conducted smoothly at more than 450 centres across Kashmir, including 73 in the summer capital, officials said.
About 94.88 per cent of the total 31,964 students appeared in the examination, an official of Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE), which conducts the examinations, told PTI.
The official said the overall attendance of the students was up by 2.56 per cent from last year.
Over 480 centres have been set up for about 48,000 candidates for Class XII board examinations across Kashmir division, the official said, adding that the students who opted for the sixth paper appeared for the test on Monday.
The government had decided to hold the exams as scheduled despite demands by parents that they be put off as the unrest had disrupted educational activities in the Valley.
Massive security arrangements were put in place across the Valley for the smooth conduct of the examination.
However, minor stone-pelting incidents were reported at a few places in Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, and Baramulla, which did not affect the conduct of the examinations.
The miscreants were chased away by the security forces without affecting the test, a police official said.
The BOSE official said the highest appearance percentage of the students was recorded in central Kashmir's Budgam district where about 96.10 per cent of the students wrote their papers.
Budgam was followed by Anantnag in south Kashmir where 96.01 per cent students appeared in the examination, he said.
The official said North Kashmir's Bandipora witnessed the lowest attendance at 92.80 per cent.
Two other south Kashmir districts Pulwama and Shopian recorded 94.65 and 93.66 per cent, respectively.
North Kashmir's Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts recorded attendance at 92.80, 93.70 and 93.10 per cent, respectively, the official said, adding Srinagar and Ganderbal in central Kashmir recorded 95.83 and 92.93 per cent attendance.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday ordered the opening of schools along the international border (IB) in Jammu district that were closed following the heavy cross-border firing.
On November 1, the government had ordered the closure of 174 schools situated along the international border in Jammu district following heavy shelling and firing.
"The order dated November one regarding closure of 174 schools in the border areas of Jammu district stands withdrawn. All schools will reopen from tomorrow (Tuesday)," Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said on Monday.
Following the heavy firing from across the international border and Line of Control (LoC), the government had ordered closure of over 400 schools in the entire Jammu region.
