NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur has sought that the Union Territory’s geographical challenges should be taken into consideration while deciding examination system as the UT is set to switch over to CBSE from Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education and could also get additional Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Mathur took up the issue with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during a meeting in New Delhi. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Minister Incharge DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training) today announced the setting up of a separate IAS/Civil Services Exam Centre for Ladakh, to be located at Leh. He also said that the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) , affiliated with DoPT, is conducting computer based examination for selection to merit for Group `B’ and `C’ posts of Ladakh and added that the arrangement will streamline free and fair selections for these posts in the Government departments.
“In context of Ladakh affiliating to the Central Board of School Education (CBSE), Mathur urged the Education Minister to consider Ladakh’s geographical challenges while decision exam session, office set-up and norms,” a tweet by the Office of the Lt Governor of Ladakh said. Mathur also discussed with Pradhan the setting up of additional Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, provision for winter uniforms and schemes to meet high cost of construction and additional infrastructure requirements for Ladakh’s winter. “Various interventions and considerations of the Government of India were solicited for streamlining Ladakh’s Education system with respect to its geographical location and conditions,” another tweet by Office of the Lt Governor Ladakh said.
Sources said Dharmendra Pradhan has assured Mathur that all issues pertaining to the Union Territory of Ladakh raised by him will be considered and issues addressed at the earliest. While some educational institutions in Ladakh are affiliated with CBSE, others had affiliation with Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education since Ladakh was part of undivided State of J&K till it was bifurcated and converted into the Union Territory. However, now there were reports that Ladakh might switch over to the CBSE as J&K has become a separate Union Territory. Meanwhile, Mathur called on the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at the DoPT headquarters in North Block to discuss the placement of IAS officers and other service related matters in the context of Ladakh. Dr Jitendra Singh said the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will, from this year, have an Examination Centre at Leh, which will operate for the first time for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2021, scheduled to be held on 10th of October this year.
This will address a long pending demand of the youth from the Ladakh region whose grievance was that they found it difficult to reach Examination Centres in other parts of the country because of the constraints of affordability of air fare and uncertain weather conditions. “DoPT pleased to share with Lt Governor Ladakh RK Mathur, a decision by Narendra Modi Government which will bring warm cheers to the cold desert. Beginning this year, Ladakh to have its own Centre for Civil Services Exam, located at Leh,” Dr Jitendra Singh tweeted. The DoPT Minister recalled that about five years ago, the demand for a UPSC Examination Centre had been taken up by the Department, but it could not be carried further.
However, now since with the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ladakh has been given the status of a separate Union Territory, it was considered in the fitness of things to open an exclusive and self-reliant facility for the convenience of the IAS/Civil Services aspirants from the region, which has, in the past gifted some of the finest IAS officers to India. In another major decision, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), affiliated with DoPT, is conducting computer based examination for selection to Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ posts of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
This arrangement, he said, will streamline free and fair selection on merit for Group-‘B’ and Group-‘C’ posts in the Government departments. A new centre of examination will be opened at Leh for the conduct of UPSC examinations, while the Lamdone Online Assessment Institute Leh is facilitating the SSC examinations. Lieutenant Governor Mathur conveyed his gratitude for the special attention being given to Ladakh and the prompt response of the DoPT to every request put forward by the Union Territory Government. He also requested the Minister to help in the posting of appropriate IAS officers in the UT of Ladakh, particularly because a number of ambitious centrally sponsored projects have been recently launched in the region.
Assuring the Lieutenant Governor of every possible support and assistance from the Ministry of Personnel and DoPT, the Minister agreed to the proposal that in the month of September, the Department of Administrative Reforms under the Ministry of Personnel will hold a two-day Capacity Building Workshop for Civil Servants and officers of the UT of Ladakh. Besides this, he said, the inclusion of Ladakh in the AGMUT Cadre of IAS will enable a wider pool and choice of officers for posting in the region.
The Lieutenant Governor thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initiative to have a Carbon-free Ladakh. He said, the UT Government is trying its best to make the maximum utility of the enormous organic and natural resources available in the region.
