The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has officially declared winter vacations for Degree Colleges in the region, implementing a phased approach set to commence on December 27, 2023.
Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department, outlined the details of the winter break, stating, “Government Degree Colleges in the Kashmir region will observe the break until February 14, 2024.”
For Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in the Jammu division, the winter vacations in the Winter Zone will align with the schedule for degree colleges in the Kashmir division, commencing from December 27. However, GDCs in the Jammu division falling under the Summer Zone will observe vacations from January 1 to January 10, 2024.
The decision to implement winter vacations follows the directive issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department on November 30. This directive announced the commencement of online classes in government degree colleges in the Kashmir region from December 1, 2023. The early onset of winter posed challenges for students in commuting and attending physical classes, primarily due to inadequate heating arrangements.
Dr. Ravi Shanker Sharma, Special Secretary to the government, emphasized the impact of inadequate heating arrangements on normal classwork, stating, “The situation has been compounded due to disruption to normal class work with inadequate heating arrangements.”
To ensure uninterrupted academic delivery in adverse and extremely cold conditions, the directive stressed that classes in Government Degree Colleges of the Kashmir Division would be conducted via online mode from December 1, 2023, until December 31, 2023, or until winter vacations are officially announced, whichever occurs earlier.
