When the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was unveiled, it was celebrated as a landmark reform to revolutionize India’s education system. But in Jammu and Kashmir, its implementation has left an unintended trail of devastation, particularly in the domain of English studies.

Once a compulsory subject, General English has now been relegated to the status of an Ability Enhancement Course (AEC). This shift has pushed English departments across colleges in the Union Territory to the brink of extinction. Where English once held a central place in the curriculum, it is now treated as optional, eroding its relevance in academic and professional spaces.
The consequences of this decision are already being felt. Colleges, no longer mandated to offer English as a major subject, have witnessed a steep decline in enrollment. Departments that once nurtured hundreds of students now struggle to justify their existence. For English scholars many of whom have invested years in pursuing PhDs and qualifying prestigious exams like NET—this has created a grim future. With vacancies disappearing, their expertise risks being rendered redundant.
The subject General English should be restored as a compulsory subject, as it was before NEP. This is the only way English scholars can breathe again—otherwise, the discipline faces its last breath. Thousands of scholars in Jammu and Kashmir are engaged on academic arrangements in colleges. Not long ago, more than 200 scholars worked in English departments. Last year the number dropped to nearly 100. But shockingly, this year, only 36 candidates are being engaged across colleges. The decline is stark and alarming. As General English shrinks day by day, one cannot help but ask: what will be the fate of those who have spent years earning advanced degrees in this subject?
The fallout is not just personal but structural. The downgrading of English threatens the overall quality of higher education in the region. In today’s globalized world, proficiency in English is indispensable—not only for academic growth but also for employability and international mobility. By sidelining it, the system risks producing graduates ill-prepared for the challenges of a competitive world.
Even more alarming is the brain drain this policy has triggered. Highly qualified scholars, unable to find opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir, are leaving the region to pursue work elsewhere. In the process, the UT loses a valuable intellectual resource that could have contributed to its educational and cultural enrichment.
Responsibility for this crisis lies with policymakers who failed to anticipate ground realities before implementing NEP 2020. A lack of consultation with stakeholders—teachers, scholars, and college administrators has led to decisions that now threaten to dismantle decades of progress in English education. No alternative frameworks or safety nets were designed for those directly impacted, compounding the problem.
The slow death of English departments in Jammu and Kashmir is not merely an institutional setback, it is an educational tragedy. To reverse the damage, urgent corrective measures are needed. Policymakers must acknowledge the importance of English in a globalized landscape, restore its centrality in curricula, and create sustainable job opportunities for English scholars.
The revival of English studies is not just about safeguarding the future of a subject—it is about ensuring that students in Jammu and Kashmir are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world. The onus lies with the government and academic institutions to act decisively. The future of English studies—and by extension, the future of higher education in the region depends on it.

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