SC to hear plea of J-K for extension of admission deadline in institutions

A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of advocate Shoeb Alam, representing the state government, that due to "prevailing law and order situation" and "various restrictions" in Jammu and Kashmir, the selected students are finding it difficult to abide by the August 15 deadline for getting the admissions in various technical institutions under the PMSS scheme.

"We will list it for hearing next week," the bench said.

The apex court, in its earlier order, had fixed August 15 the deadline for admissions of the students in technical colleges approved by AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education).

The PMSSS was launched by the Centre during 2010-11 to encourage the students of state of Jammu and Kashmir and provides scholarship to deserving candidates to meet the expenditure towards tuition fees, hostel fees, cost of books and other incidental charges while studying across the country in various engineering and regular courses.

Under the scheme, 5,869 scholarships are being offered to deserving students from the state for admission during academic year 2019-20 to different under-graduate courses in colleges across the country.

"Recently, Jammu and Kashmir has been reorganized into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Laddakh...

"That on account of these developments and the prevailing law and order situation in the region, various restrictions have been imposed on the ground...on the assembly and movement of persons, suspension of phone lines, mobile and internet services and other forms of communications, in various parts of the region from August 05 and as such communications and travel are nearly totally suspended," the plea said.

The developments have affected the movement of the general public and selected students are experiencing difficulties in travelling to join their allotted institutions across the country  before the prescribed last date of admissions, the plea said.

In these circumstances, it would be "expedient and in the interest of Justice" that the last date of joining of 2401 students belonging to the state be extended up to September 15, the plea said.

A total of 3,672 students have so far also joined the allotted institutions till now.

However, a total of 2,401 students are yet to join their allotted institutions and the prescribed last date for their admissions is August 15, it said.