A fresh crisis has gripped the higher education sector in Jammu and Kashmir as thousands of contractual college lecturers have been abruptly disengaged despite the ongoing academic session, triggering serious concerns among educators and students.
Highly qualified lecturers — including PhD holders and NET/SET/JRF-qualified scholars — have been asked to vacate their positions and reapply without clarity on reappointment timelines. The annual practice has once again led to academic disruptions across colleges in the Union Territory.
“This has turned into a recurring nightmare,” said Dr. Sheikh Afaq Gowhar of SP College, Cluster University Srinagar. “Every year, we are disengaged arbitrarily and students are left in academic limbo.”
With permanent faculty unable to meet the entire academic load, classes are being delayed, labs left unattended, and students are facing interrupted learning. The lack of a transparent and stable policy for re-engagement has only worsened the situation, say educators.
Despite repeated appeals, the Higher Education Department has offered no resolution, leaving contractual faculty in a state of professional insecurity. “Kashmir has the talent — what’s lacking is policy and willpower,” Dr. Gowhar added.
Students are bearing the brunt of this instability, with gaps in curriculum, low morale, and growing anxiety about their academic futures.
Educators are now urging the administration to implement long-term reforms that ensure job security, reward merit, and guarantee uninterrupted academic delivery. “This is about fairness — for both the educators and the students. The system must change before it causes lasting damage to a whole generation,” Dr. Gowhar stressed.