BJP, PDP censure NC Govt over keeping JKBOSE headless for 1 year

Srinagar, Jan 11: The ruling National Conference government has come under severe criticism for its failure to appoint a chairman for JK Board of School Education (JKBOSE) for one year.

The JKBOSE and JK SCERT continue to remain without permanent heads since January 2025 following the expiry of the two year term of the former chairman JKBOSE. From January 2025 till December 31 of 2022, the post of Chairman JKBOSE and Director SCERT was being managed by additional charge arrangement. Following the retirement of the former Financial Commissioner JK Higher Education Department (HED) Shantmanu, both the key institutions have been rendered headless for the last 10 days. The move has evoked criticism from opposition and other stakeholders who have accused the government of playing with the career of the students.

Senior leader Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former education minister Naeem Akhtar said keeping such an important institution headless for one year speaks volumes about the incompetence of the present government. “It is the incompetence of this government that it has not been able to appoint a chairman of JKBOSE despite the passage of one year,” he said. The former education minister said the government has “absolute powers” in matters of appointment. “It is not something which needs to be invented. They can pick up someone for the post or give additional charge to someone till a permanent chairman of JKBOSE is appointed,” he told Greater Kashmir. He said the government cannot leave such an organisation headless. “The government is playing with the academic career and the situation will impact people of J&K. “The government must appoint the chairman of JKBOSE and Director SCERT so that things get streamlined in these two institutions and students do not suffer anymore,” he said.

Notably, the post of Chairman JKBOSE is lying vacant at a time when the government made an announcement for the declaration of the class 12th results. The result, as per the official announcement, was scheduled to be declared in the first week of January. However, the delay in appointment of chairman for JKBOSE has deferred the whole process. Amid this, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K has criticised the CM Omar Abdullah-led government saying that it was an administrative failure of the government due to which JKBOSE was functioning without a permanent Chairman since January 2025.”Despite the passage of nearly one year, the government has failed to appoint a regular Chairman for JKBOSE. It has raised serious concerns about governance and the future of students,” BJP J&K in a statement said.

The party has questioned the CM Omar Abdullah government over the prolonged delay. “Who would be held accountable if students’ careers are adversely affected due to administrative uncertainty. The delay is deliberate because instead of appointing a competent and deserving candidate, the government was allegedly attempting to accommodate its close associates,” the BJP in a statement said. “This is not merely a delay but a clear reflection of the CM Omar government’s flawed priorities and political interference in crucial educational institutions,” the party said. The party statement said that such practices are detrimental to the academic interests of lakhs of students across J&K.