JKSA writes to CTET Director seeking Jammu/Srinagar Centres for Kargil–Ladakh candidates amid peak winter connectivity crisis

SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday has written to the Director Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) Jitendra Kumar Yadav, seeking the allotment of CTET examination centres at Jammu or Srinagar for candidates from Kargil–Ladakh, citing severe winter-related road connectivity challenges and the safety concerns faced by aspirants during this period.

In a Statement, President of Ladakh Chapter of Association Md. Hassanain Rocky said that, The CTET examination is scheduled to be held on 8 February, a date that coincides with peak winter conditions in Ladakh. JKSA has conveyed that several CTET applicants from Kargil informed the Association that while filling out their application forms, they mentioned their present or permanent address as Kargil.

However, the application process did not provide any option to select a preferred examination centre, leading to serious apprehension that examination centres may be allotted in Kargil or Leh by default, despite the prevailing weather conditions.

He pointed out that such an allotment would place candidates in an extremely difficult and risky situation. As widely reported and acknowledged every winter, road connectivity between Kargil, Leh, and other regions becomes highly unreliable due to heavy snowfall, avalanches, and prolonged adverse weather. Key routes, particularly the Srinagar–Leh and Kargil–Leh highways, frequently remain closed for extended periods, leaving travellers stranded and making movement unsafe, uncertain, and, in many cases, completely impossible during the winter months.

He further stated that a significant number of candidates from Kargil are currently residing temporarily in Srinagar or Jammu for academic preparation, access to coaching facilities, and reliable connectivity. Under these unavoidable logistical realities, allotting CTET examination centres at Srinagar or Jammu would be far more feasible, accessible, and humane for aspirants from Kargil and adjoining areas, while also ensuring that no candidate is disadvantaged due to geographical and climatic constraints beyond their control.

Hassanain emphasised that the request is being made on genuine, unavoidable, and well-documented grounds, noting that similar concerns are raised every winter by students and parents from Ladakh across social media platforms, public forums, and local representations, particularly during national-level examinations, due to recurring road closures and harsh climatic conditions.

In its representation, Hassanain has urged the CTET authorities to adopt a student-centric and pragmatic approach by either allotting CTET examination centres at Jammu or Srinagar for candidates whose addresses fall in Kargil–Ladakh, or by introducing a one-time facilitation or correction mechanism to accommodate such candidates at the nearest accessible centres outside Ladakh during the winter months.