Student protests: Colleges remain closed for 5th consecutive day in Kashmir

Srinagar/April,22: Class work in colleges remained suspended for the fifty day Saturday in Kashmir valley, where student protests have witnessed an upward spiral against security force action on pupils, including girls, of different Degree colleges since April 15.
However, classes resumed in majority of the Higher Secondary Schools (HSS) Saturday after remaining suspended Friday this week as a precautionary measure.
Class work in Degree colleges remained suspended since April 17, two days after Pulwama incident, in which over 60 students, including girls, were injured in security force and police action on April 15 (Saturday).
An official spokesman said according to the Divisional Administration Kashmir, teaching work in all Government Degree colleges remained suspended Saturday in Kashmir Division as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, according to the Registrar Cluster University Srinagar, the entrance test for 5-year integrated courses was held Saturday at 1500 hrs.
The Kashmir University (KU) and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) have decided to conduct all examinations as per schedule. However, class work in both the universitiesremain suspended till Saturday.
Fearing trouble, the government had extended the closure of colleges till Saturday in the Kashmir valley. Colleges witnessed massive protests on April 17 after students hit the streets and clashed with security forces, demanding action against Army personnel who entered Degree College Pulwama and allegedly thrashed student, including girls on April 15. Near normal attendance was recorded in Higher Secondary and High Schools Saturday.
Meanwhile Government forces Saturday burst teargas shells in civil lines Srinagar to disperse demonstrators, who were protesting against detention of a youth allegedly under Pubic Safety Act (PSA).
Scores of protestors, including women, took to streets at Maisuma, strong hold of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), against detention of a youth, Ashiq Dar, under SPA.
Demanding that the youth should be released immediately, the demonstrators, who were holding placards, tried to march towards Lal Chowk, the nerve center of the summer capital.
However, forces deployed in the area, burst teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators, who resorted to stone pelting.
Meanwhile, scores of students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School Kothi Bagh took out a protest rally against security force action on pupils, including girls, of different Degree colleges since April 15. The protesting students later dispersed peacefully.