By Tarushi Aswani
Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, a school in south Kashmir’s Shopian, was recently declared an “unlawful entity” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). For over a decade, the school had functioned with permissions, renewals and affiliations granted by the Jammu and Kashmir government and the University of Kashmir, documents exclusively accessed by The Wire reveal.
A 2013 order issued by the J&K Higher Education Department granted permission to the Siraj-ul-Uloom Educational Society, Imam Sahib, Shopian, to run a degree college from the 2014–15 academic session. The order stated that the institution would be eligible for affiliation with the University of Kashmir, subject to compliance with norms prescribed by the government and the university.
Subsequent records show that the institution received periodic affiliation from the University of Kashmir for its BA Fazilat programme. In 2015–16, the university granted temporary affiliation with an approved intake capacity of 60 students, subject to fulfilment of specified conditions.
A 2016 communication from the university confirmed continuation of affiliation for the 2016–17 academic session, again with a sanctioned intake of 60 seats. The approval followed an inspection committee report and required the institution to meet conditions relating to infrastructure, faculty and administrative processes.
One of the conditions mentioned in the communications from University of Kashmir, approving affiliation with it for the 2016-17 BA Fazilat course, includes that Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom, Imam Shah, Shopian would obtain a “fresh and valid no-objection certificate” of the government for running the course. This was duly granted to it, at least until 2023.
Documents from 2020 reviewed by The Wire indicate that the university renewed the institution’s affiliation and permitted the introduction of additional subjects, including history and political science, within the B.A. Fazilat degree programme. The renewal remained subject to compliance with university statutes and regulatory requirements.
Further records show that the University of Kashmir granted retrospective renewal of affiliation for the academic sessions 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24. The approvals were based on inspection reports and included conditions such as appointment of qualified faculty, payment of salaries through bank channels, and infrastructure upgrades including laboratory and library facilities.
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