In a significant development, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the takeover of management committees of 58 schools found affiliated with the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), according to officials.
The order has been issued by the Secretary, School Education Department (SED), in continuation to the notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. It needs to be mentioned here that the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir was declared an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, under MHA orders.
The latest order states that the intelligence agencies have recently identified 58 functional schools having direct or indirect links with JeI/FAT. The managing committees of these schools had either expired or there were adverse reports against them. These adverse reports had generally indicated that the individuals connected with these schools were, in some cases, found to be working for separatists/secessionists.
In light of this, the government has directed that the management of these schools be taken over by the concerned Deputy Commissioners(DCs), who will subsequently propose fresh managing committees after due verification. The individuals nominated to these managing committees will be drawn from local communities and they should be men/women of integrity.
The decision has been taken to safeguard the academic interests of students enrolled in these institutions. Authorities have been instructed to ensure that academic activities continue without any disruption. This may be the right time to put the schools in the hands of new management committees as a new academic session is just starting.
Besides management committees, the intelligence agencies will also be vetting the antecedents of the teaching and non-teaching staff working in these schools. If anything adverse is found against individuals, they also stand to lose out their jobs in the near future, according to officials.
The order further states that Deputy Commissioners (DCs), who function as District Magistrates(DMs), in coordination with the School Education Department, shall take all necessary steps to maintain quality education as per NEP norms and ensure that students do not suffer any academic loss.
Several government teams, including personnel drawn from SED, have been deputed to these schools for further necessary action. The notifications in this regard were issued vide SO 1069 (E) dated February 28, 2019, and subsequently vide SO 924(E) dated February 27, 2024, under sub-section (1) of Section (3) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), declaring Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir as an unlawful association. The present takeover is then a matter of continuity with the existing policies.
Earlier, on August 22, 2025, the J&K government, through Government Order No. 578-JK(Edu) of 2025, had similarly taken over the management of 215 schools affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) that were operational across the Union Territory (UT).
