Srinagar, Sep 9: The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to rationalise the approval process for private schools, with Education Minister Sakina Itoo saying the requirement of as many as 41 No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) is “cumbersome and unfair”.
Speaking at the “Women Edupreneurs Connect 2026”, organised by the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) at the MERC Auditorium of the University of Kashmir, Itoo said the government had decided to reduce the number of approvals required for opening or extending private schools.
“When I was a minister in 2008, two to four NOCs were required to open a school or seek an extension. Today, I found that 41 NoCs are being sought,” she said.
The minister said the existing system requires applicants to approach numerous government offices and can take six months or even longer, creating difficulties for private school operators, particularly in matters relating to land and regulatory approvals.
“Imagine how many offices you have to go to. It is not a small thing to take 41 NOCs,” Itoo said.
She said the government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had decided that the existing arrangement needed to be changed and that only essential and mandatory approvals would be retained.
“Earlier, we had to take three NOCs, which were more necessary and mandatory. We will take those, but remove the rest,” she said.
According to Itoo, the proposal has already been approved and is now at the final stage.
“The file is already approved. The order will have to be brought to the Assembly first, where it will be passed, and then the order will come,” she said.
The proposed changes are aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on private educational institutions and making the approval process less time-consuming.
At the event, Itoo also spoke about the role of women in education and entrepreneurship, saying women in Jammu and Kashmir were increasingly occupying important positions despite facing social and professional challenges.
“Our sisters are very intelligent. They have so much talent, but they also have a lot of difficulties,” she said, referring to criticism and social restrictions faced by women pursuing professional careers.
The minister said women continued to face disproportionate scrutiny over their work and professional choices.
“We still live in a male-dominated society. Even today, we are criticised and our work is targeted,” Itoo said.
Urging women not to be discouraged by criticism, she said, “We should never be afraid. We should not back down. It is okay if we are criticised, but we have to move forward.”
Itoo also cautioned against the misuse of social media, saying mobile phones had made it possible to damage a person’s reputation within a very short time.
“If you want to defame someone, you can do it in two minutes. People are ready to do it,” she said, while urging women to remain focused on their work despite online criticism.
The minister assured women entrepreneurs and educationists of government support and said she would be available to intervene on issues requiring attention at her level.
She also called upon private educators and women working in the education sector to take a more active role in addressing substance abuse among young people.
Itoo said teachers and school administrators were in regular contact with large numbers of children and were therefore well placed to identify early signs of addiction and provide counselling.
“Today, in Indian society, a disease of addiction has spread which is destroying our generations,” she said.
Urging educators to focus on prevention and early intervention, she said, “If you see anything like this in a child, you should definitely check it.”
The minister stressed that timely counselling could play an important role in protecting young people and said women educators had a significant role in shaping the future of children.
Itoo also urged organisers of similar programmes to provide more opportunities to women participants to speak about their experiences and concerns rather than limiting discussions to ministers and senior officials.
“Some of you are very capable and can speak better than us. You should also get a chance to come here and tell us those things so that we can listen and work on them in the future,” she said.
The event was attended by MLAs Said Ud Din Bhat and Salman Ali Sagar, University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof Nilofer Khan, PSAJK chairman Baba Nazrul Islam, Director School Education Kashmir, CEO Srinagar and other officials, besides representatives of private schools.
