Once Curious, Now Complacent: Kashmir's Academic Dead End

By Dr. Ashraf Zainabi

Many academics stop publishing, mentoring, or pursuing research the moment their jobs become permanent in Kashmir.

Assistant Professors in Government Degree Colleges and some universities show energy and curiosity during probation years. Once promotions are assured, enthusiasm fades.

Research becomes optional, curiosity drifts, and the institutions meant to nurture knowledge grow stagnant.

The system makes this possible. Unlike universities abroad, where research output is monitored and rewarded, Kashmiri institutions rarely enforce meaningful standards.

The Career Advancement Scheme measures promotion eligibility by the number of publications rather than their quality. Faculty often meet requirements by publishing in obscure or predatory journals. Securing a permanent post sends an unspoken message: research is not mandatory.

Several forces accelerate the decline. Job security removes urgency. Most colleges lack laboratories, libraries, journal subscriptions, or administrative support for grants and fieldwork. Faculty spend long hours on NAAC files, compliance reports, student records, and organizing college events.

These bureaucratic tasks leave little mental space for creative thinking. Many professors are stationed in remote colleges, isolated from peers, conferences, and research networks. Academic life becomes solitary and uninspiring.

Culture compounds the problem. Faculty meetings rarely include research presentations. College websites hardly list ongoing projects. Students graduate without seeing teachers contribute new knowledge. Inquiry fades when the institutions themselves do not value it.

The consequences extend beyond campus walls.

Teaching suffers when instructors rely on outdated materials. Institutions lose credibility and fail to attract funding, partnerships, or talent. Society misses insights that could tackle Kashmir's urgent challenges, from climate adaptation and mental health to education reform and gender justice. Younger academics absorb the message that research is neither expected nor rewarded. Promotions hinge on paperwork, not intellectual contribution.

Despite these obstacles, some academics persist. They publish in reputable journals, mentor PhD candidates, secure grants, and present at conferences. They work because curiosity, early mentorship, or exposure to global academia drives them. They continue in spite of indifference, demonstrating that scholarly excellence is possible even when the environment discourages it.

Reversing the trend requires structural and cultural change. Annual research reports tracking publications, projects, and citations can foster transparency. Promotions should emphasize quality over quantity. Financial incentives, reduced teaching loads, and travel grants can motivate serious research. Departments can create research cells where faculty exchange ideas, review work, and support one another.

Leadership appointments should consider research track records, not seniority alone. College-university collaborations can expand access to labs, mentorship, and interdisciplinary dialogue. Student research projects and independent modules can ignite interest in inquiry among both teachers and learners.

Government investment in infrastructure, including new campuses, digital classrooms, additional colleges, has been significant. Hardware exists, but the software, like rigour, accountability, and a culture of inquiry, lags. Civil society, media, and students must start asking the right questions: how many ideas were tested, how many papers contributed new knowledge, how many solutions reached the community?

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