Dr Firdous Ahmad Qazi
“The tragedy of higher education in J&K is that the more you study, the more uncertain your future becomes.”
In the past, pursuing a PhD was seen as the highest form of academic achievement — a gateway to respect, stability, and contribution to society. But in today’s Jammu and Kashmir, this dream has turned into a disheartening illusion. The once-promising future of highly qualified scholars has been crushed under the weight of an unstable and unfair higher education system. Dozens of PhD holders and M. Phil scholars across J&K have spent years serving as contractual or academic arrangement lecturers, dedicating their time, energy, and knowledge to students with full sincerity.
Yet, after years — even decades — of service, they are still treated as temporary employees with no job security, no regularization policy, and no recognition for their contribution. The recent decisions by the Higher Education Department have deepened this crisis. The reduction in contractual vacancies, withdrawal of tutorials and practicals from the syllabus, and replacement of experienced contractual faculty with inexperienced “guest faculty” for meager allowances has not only destroyed the hopes of qualified youth but also damaged the quality of education in our colleges.
“The future of higher education in J&K is at risk because the government ignores its lecturers, who are the backbone of the system. Pursuing a PhD is futile until the government provides permanent jobs, fair treatment, and respect for qualified educators, rather than relying on temporary solutions.”
Many PhD holders who have spent their lives in research and teaching are now sitting at home, unemployed and demoralized. Their families suffer, their morale is shattered, and their years of hard work feel wasted. Instead of valuing experience and dedication, the system has started playing with the careers of the most educated section of society. This situation has sent a clear and bitter message to the young generation: Don’t go for PhD. There is no scope, no security, and no future in higher education in J&K under the current circumstances.
What’s the point of investing a decade in research when the outcome is joblessness and mental stress? It’s time for the authorities to wake up and realize that education cannot survive on temporary arrangements and political experiments. Our lecturers are the backbone of higher education — ignoring them means destroying the future of both teachers and students. Until the government ensures permanent recruitment, fair treatment, and respect for qualified educators, pursuing a PhD in J&K seems like a road leading nowhere.
(The author is a teacher at the Department Of Management Studies at Govt Degree College Shopian. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
