VoL Desk, Nov. 12: Paramedical students from Ladakh aspiring for admission in private institutions of Jammu and Kashmir started a protest at Kargil House Jammu demanding the Administration to allow them to take admission in private paramedical institutions of Jammu and Kashmir.

The students were allegedly denied admission in paramedical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir as the Jammu and Kashmir institution has made it mandatory for students seeking admission to possess a J&K domicile certificate, said President, All Ladakh Students’ Welfare Association Jammu (ALSWAJ), Mohd Hassanain in a telephonic interview to Voice of Ladakh.

The concern was raised in mid-September when the admissions were opened for the Post-BSc Nursing course where Ladakhi students were denied admission. The above-mentioned Students’ Association via letters raised the issue with the Principal Secretary, Member of Parliament from Ladakh, and CEC, LAHDC, Kargil. However, the students received no response from any of the authorities.

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The Students’ President took to the media via a Press Conference to raise the issue on October 03, after that, all three authorities called him and assured to take up the issue with the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), J&K. The Principal Secretary also wrote a letter to the BOPEE of which the President Hassanain has a copy, said President of the students’ body.

Later, admissions of Lateral entry for GNM College in Jammu were opened and the Ladakhi students faced the same issue of domicile certificate. Accordingly, the students met with the Controller BOPEE J&K who denied receiving any letter from Principal Secretary, Ladakh in this regard. He further said that the decision is not in their hand as the UT J&K Administration has advised them to provide admission only to students with a J&K Domicile certificate.

On Saturday (December 10), the students started a massive protest at Kargil House Jammu demanding immediate intervention from Administration in Ladakh. General Secretary, Jamiat Ulema Isna Ashriya Kargil (JUIAK) and District President Nation Conference joined the students in the protest.

The CEC Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan and DC Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve on telephone assured the students to take-up the issue with authorities. They advised the students to roll back the protest and give them 2-3 days time to resolve the issue. Meanwhile, they have also asked for a list of students aspiring for admissions. Accordingly, the students rolled back the protest.

The CEC Feroz Khan also wrote a letter to the LG Ladakh requesting him “to kindly direct the concerned to take up the issue with the concerned in the UT of J&K with the aim to resolve the same at an earliest.”

The President JUIAK in a similar letter to the LG Ladakh requested to “inform the concerned to talk about the issue with the appropriate authority in the UT of J&K in order to resolve it as quickly as possible”.

The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) in a letter to the LG Ladakh after discussing the issue read, “It is therefore imperative to take up the issue with the concerned in the UT of J&K and resolve the same at your earliest. Your personal attention is solicited in this regard”.