Mobile Curbs Extended, Schools To Remain Shut Till 7 March In Kashmir

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- Authorities have extended mobile data restrictions for another 24 hours and ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Kashmir valley till March 7 as precautionary measure to maintain law and order, officials here said on Tuesday evening.

Mobile data restrictions and the suspension of select telecom services across the Kashmir Valley are likely to remain in force till Wednesday evening, officials said, adding that a review will be conducted before a final decision is taken on further relaxation or continuation.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Home Department has confirmed the temporary suspension and curtailment of telecom services across the Valley. Prepaid mobile data services have been restricted to 2G speed, capped at 128 kbps across 2G, 3G and 4G networks. Additionally, prepaid mobile services, including JK10 data, voice and SMS, remain suspended.

The restrictions came into effect at 9 am on March 1 and are scheduled to continue till 8 pm on March 4. Official sources said the situation is under close watch and any extension of reduced speeds and related curbs will depend on the prevailing law and order assessment.

Meanwhile, the J&K government has decided to shut educational institutions across the Valley till March 7 as a precautionary measure following widespread protests over the assassination of Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran.

Education Minister Sakina Itoo said the decision was taken to ensure the safety of students.“We have decided to keep schools, colleges and universities closed till March 7,” she said, adding that the government is closely monitoring the situation and will decide on reopening only after assessing ground conditions.

The closure comes at a time when schools up to Class 8 were scheduled to reopen on Monday after a winter break of over two months. Earlier, classes from 9th to 12th standard had resumed on February 23 in the Kashmir division and winter zones of Jammu division after a break of more than 70 days.

As per earlier government orders, winter vacations for Classes 9 to 12 were observed from December 11, 2025, to February 22, 2026. For middle classes up to Class 8, vacations were scheduled from December 1 to February 28, while pre-primary (Balvatika) classes were to remain closed from November 26 to February 28.

The School Education Department had directed teaching staff to remain available for academic activities during the vacation period and to report back to schools on February 20 for reopening preparations.

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Colleges in the Kashmir Valley had resumed activities on February 16 after a 52-day winter vacation. The Higher Education Department had announced winter vacations for degree colleges in the Kashmir Division and winter zones of Jammu Division from December 24, 2025, to February 14, 2026.

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With both telecom curbs and educational closures in place, authorities said measures are being reviewed regularly in view of the evolving security situation across the Valley.

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