J-K admin approves filling up vacancies in paramedical institutions

Jammu: In a major relief to the management of nearly 150 nursing and paramedical colleges, Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday approved filling up of leftover vacancies in such institutions after centralised counselling by the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) is over.

The approval was granted by the Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, a spokesman said.

The nursing and paramedical colleges, mostly in private sector, offer 20,000 diploma and 400 degree seats in various courses but recorded negligible admissions for the last two academic sessions after the introduction of new system of admissions for these courses through BOPEE after the reorganisation of J&K into two Union territories in 2019.

“The Administrative Council approved filling up of leftover seats for admission to M.Sc/B.Sc Nursing, Post Basic B.Sc Nursing, B Pharmacy Course and various Paramedical Courses in the Government-run institutions and private institutions by the institution itself, on merit basis strictly as per the eligibility criteria and Standard Operating Procedures framed by the Government, after centralized counselling by the BOPEE is over,” the spokesman said.

He said this has been necessitated because of the fact that majority of such seats in the private as well as government nursing and paramedical institutions remain unfilled and a representation in this regard was submitted by the promoters of the institutions.

In another decision, the spokesman said the Administrative Council accorded approval to 50 per cent hike in honorarium in favour of 2,417 ‘Rehbar-e-Khel’ physical education teachers of Youth Services and Sports Department.

Earlier, a high-powered committee under the chief secretary constituted for the purpose in 2021 recommended a hike in honorarium at 50 per cent in favour of the Rehbar-e-Khel (ReK) teachers.

The enhancement of honorarium in favour of ReK teachers will encourage them for further promotion and popularization of sports activities in the schools of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.