Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has not officially banned student politics, Associations or unions in the Kashmir region, as revealed by an RTI response. Earlier, in its reply to the same RTI, it also stated that there is no ban on student politics in the Jammu region. Officials from the Higher Education Department confirmed that no communication or official order has been issued by the authorities imposing such a restriction.
The RTI was filed by Nasir Khuehami, National Convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, who sought a photocopy of any official order banning student activism and student associations in universities and educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir.
In response, officials from the Higher Education Department clarified that no circular or directive exists prohibiting student associations or restricting their formation and functioning in the Union Territory. The government has not imposed any ban on student politics anywhere. The RTI response dispels misconceptions about a potential ban on student activism, affirming that there are no official restrictions on campus politics in J&K.
Khuehami said that he filed an RTI to sought information whether any official order prohibits student unions associations in Jammu and Kashmir or campus politics at Kashmir University. He submitted similar requests to various universities in Kashmir, and the response from Kashmir University was particularly striking. While other universities simply stated that no official ban exists on campus politics, Kashmir University’s reply stood out.
