- Government takes over 57 more schools linked to banned JeI across Kashmir
Srinagar, Apr 18: In a significant administrative move, the government assumed control over the management of 57 schools across Kashmir that were found to be directly or indirectly associated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami through its Falah-e-Aam Trust. The action marks a further tightening of official oversight over institutions whose management had come under scrutiny in the past.
Official sources said the takeover was executed in pursuance of Government Order No. 149/Edu/JK dated April 17, 2026, issued a day earlier. Following the order, teams comprising district administration officials and police personnel visited the schools on Friday and formally took charge of their management.
According to officials, the schools brought under government control are spread across several districts of Kashmir. These include 28 schools in Baramulla, five in Kulgam, two in Bandipora, one in Shopian, two in Budgam, three in Srinagar, five in Kupwara, four in Anantnag and seven in Pulwama. The move is being seen as part of a wider effort to regulate institutions linked in any manner to proscribed organisations and ensure that educational activities continue under lawful and accountable management.
One of the schools in Pulwama district, Khairul Basher Uricharsoo Model School, had already been closed in November last year due to a sharp decline in student strength, with only 21 students enrolled at the time. However, official records of the institution were taken over by the principal of Government Higher Secondary School Pinglena, Pulwama, on the directions of the deputy commissioner and chief education officer of the district.
As part of the new arrangement, Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars of the concerned areas have been designated as administrative officers for these schools. The academic and managerial control of the institutions has been handed over to nearby Government school heads, including principals of Government Higher Secondary Schools, Headmasters of Government High Schools and Headmasters of government middle schools, depending on the level and location of each institution.
The latest development comes after the Government had, in August last year, taken over the management of 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir. With Friday’s action, the authorities have moved to bring the remaining 57 institutions fully under government supervision, thereby completing another major phase of the process.
At the time of the earlier action, the government had stated that the existing managing committees of such schools would be taken over by the concerned district magistrates or deputy commissioners. It had also indicated that fresh managing committees for these institutions would be constituted in due course after proper verification and assessment.
The legal backdrop to the action lies in the declaration of Jamaat-e-Islami as a proscribed organization by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on February 28, 2019. The ban was subsequently extended again on February 27, 2024. Following this, intelligence agencies reportedly identified a number of educational institutions that were either directly or indirectly linked to the organization or its trust.
Government sources had earlier maintained that the validity of the managing committees of these schools had expired and that their panels had also been adversely reported by intelligence agencies. In view of these findings, the authorities said it became necessary to step in and place the schools under official control.
The government has maintained that the objective behind the takeover is to safeguard the academic interests and future of the students enrolled in these institutions. By ensuring continuity of education through government-appointed administrative arrangements, the authorities aim to prevent any disruption in studies while also bringing the institutions within a transparent and regulated framework.