L-G office’s push for including Sanskrit in J&K schools not approved yet: J&K govt

The move of the Secretariat of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to include Sanskrit as a mandatory or optional subject in schools in J&K not approved yet, the J&K government said on Saturday (July 19, 2025).

A government spokesman said the L-G Secretariat had received a representation from Purshotam Lal Dube, who heads a non-governmental organisation, for inclusion of Sanskrit in the schools and colleges of J&K under the provisions of NEP 2020.

“The communication was forwarded to the Higher and the School Education department by the L-G Secretariat. The department has not proposed, approved, or initiated any process for the inclusion of Sanskrit as a mandatory or optional subject in schools across Jammu & Kashmir,” the government spokesman said. 

The spokesman said the L-G office’s communication was forwarded by the General Administration Department (GAD) to Director School Education Jammu and Kashmir for furnishing of comments in the matter. 

“The department follows a transparent and consultative process for curriculum changes, in line with NEP 2020. Any future decision regarding the inclusion of new subjects will be officially communicated through proper channels after due deliberation,” the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday accused the Omar Abdullah government of excluding Urdu from digitisation of land records in J&K.

“Years before the 2024 government’s formation, the J&K administration allegedly gave a multi-crore land digitisation contract to a company named “Ramtech.” The company scanned every single land document across districts but digitised only Srinagar and Jammu in three years,” PDP leader and legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra said.

He said Mr. Abdullah’s silence was questionable. “Where’s the accountability for the crores spent? And why is the Omar Abdullah government now erasing Urdu, one of the official languages from the new digitisation process? I’m sure the CM would be aware of this issue since he also happens to hold the revenue portfolio,” Mr. Parra said.