Kashmir's Lost Scientists

Bright students leave or abandon science because the valley’s institutions fail to connect classrooms with labs.

- Dr. Ashraf Zainabi

Science usually means medicine or engineering in Kashmir classrooms. Students speak of NEET and JEE with practiced ease.

But mention research in physics or climate, and silence takes over. One boy summed up the hesitation in a single line: “Sir, does anyone really get to do that here?”

The question reflects a deep problem in Jammu and Kashmir. Science, for most young people, has been reduced to coaching for competitive exams. The broader fields of pure sciences, research, and innovation remain far from reach.

That gap is not the fault of students. It is the result of a system where the three institutions responsible for shaping scientific futures work in isolation.

For decades, the School Education Department (JKSED) has handled schooling, the Higher Education Department (JKHED) has overseen colleges and universities, and the Department of Science and Technology (JKDST) has managed science programs and innovation funds.

Each operates with little connection to the others. The result is a broken pipeline. Classrooms overflow with theory, labs are under-equipped or unused, and research rarely connects with local needs.