Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday initiated the process of taking over the management of 215 schools linked to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), officials said.
In the morning, joint teams of the district administration and police visited these institutions across the Valley to assume control. Principals from nearby higher secondary schools accompanied them to facilitate the takeover.
The move came a day after the School Education Department issued orders directing the takeover of schools affiliated with JeI and its Falah-e-Aam Trust.
According to the order, “The Managing Committee of the 215 schools shall be taken over by the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner concerned, who will propose a fresh committee for each institution after due verification.”
The Union Home Ministry had declared JeI an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on February 28, 2019, and reaffirmed the ban on February 27, 2024.
Citing intelligence inputs, the order said several schools were directly or indirectly affiliated with JeI/Falah-e-Aam Trust. It noted that the managing committees of these schools had already expired and had been “adversely reported” by intelligence agencies.
The government said the step was necessary to safeguard the academic future of students. District Magistrates and Deputy Commissioners, in coordination with the School Education Department, have been directed to ensure that the academic careers of enrolled students remain unaffected.
