The Centre has advised students of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh union territories against taking admissions in colleges or universities in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as the educational institutions there were not recognised by India. In a public notice, published in local dailies here, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) cautioned the students of J&K and Ladakh about “unapproved technical institutions” operating in PoK. “Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is an integral part of the Union of India and the educational institutions including universities, medical colleges, and technical educational institutions situated in PoJK are neither established by Government of India nor recognized by statutory authorities such as University Grants Commission (UGC), AICTE and Medical Council of India (MCI) etc,” reads the notice issued by Member Secretary, AICTE. The notice advises the students not to take admission in any college, university or technical institution for courses in engineering and technology, architecture, town planning, pharmacy, hotel management and catering technology, applied arts, crafts and design, management, computer applications and travel and tourism. “… for which advisories are issued by various other regulatory bodies under government of India in the territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan including the so-called Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit and Baltistan, which are currently not recognized in India,” reads the notice.
