Amid crippling education, board exams begin in Kashmir on Monday

Amid crippling education system in Kashmir, thousands of students on Monday appeared in the annual board examinations in unrest-hit Kashmir, where life is showing signs of limping back to normalcy.

Since July, after the killing of Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahedeen militant, several schools were being burnt and education sector has taken a hit. But on Monday, there was a significant increase in movement of people and transport across the Valley as the annual board examinations began, officials said in Kashmir.  About 484 centres have been set up for about 48,000 candidates for class 12 examination across Kashmir division.

The government had decided to move foreward with the exams as scheduled despite demands by parents that exams should be postponed.

Massive security arrangements are in place for the smooth conduct of the examinations. However, there were no restrictions on the movement of people anywhere in the Valley, the officials said.

Along with the heavy rush of vehicles, shops were also open in areas like civil lines and outskirts of the city as well as in few of the rural areas in other districts of Kashmir.

Inter-district cabs were also plying on different routes, the officials said.

Many vendors had put up their stalls along TRC Chowk-Batamaloo axis through Lal Chowk city centre, while banks were also open across the Valley and witnessed rush of customers.

However, many shops, fuel stations and other business establishments in other areas of the Valley were shut due to a separatist sponsored strike.