Big 16% Surge in J&K College Admissions: Govt
47,150 Students Enrolled in Phase-I; Enrollment rises across 106 Government Degree Colleges as merit-based centralised admission portal draws higher student response
Srinagar/Jammu, Aug 23: Undergraduate admissions in Jammu & Kashmir’s Government Degree Colleges have witnessed a significant rise for the 2026-27 academic session, with 47,150 students securing admission in Phase-I—around 16 per cent higher than the approximately 40,800 admissions recorded during the corresponding phase last year.
As per news agency JKNS, Phase-I of undergraduate admissions to the Government Degree Colleges of Jammu and Kashmir for the academic session 2026-27 has concluded with 47,150 candidates admitted, as against about 40,800 in the corresponding phase of the preceding session — an increase of about **16 per cent.** Of these, 35,040 candidates were admitted through direct allocation and 12,110 through the walk-in mode.
Admissions were conducted on the basis of 10+2 merit through the Centralised Admission Portal, jkadmissions.in, developed in-house by the Directorate of Colleges, J&K. The portal placed a single Union Territory-wide merit list before every candidate, allowed continuous upgradation of the allotted seat through successive rounds, managed the migration of fee automatically, and enabled a meritorious candidate from any part of the Union Territory to compete for a seat in the programme of their choice. The entire process, from registration to payment, was completed online by the candidate.
As per the statement of Dr. Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Director Colleges, J&K, merit at every stage—whether allocation of college or allotment of Major, Minor, Multidisciplinary, and Skill Enhancement Courses—was the bedrock of the entire admission process. He stated that 106 colleges recorded a rise in enrollment over the preceding session and most other colleges have retained their enrollment figures. This is a remarkable achievement in view of the national trend of declining enrollments across subject domains in higher education.
The Department of Higher Education, J&K, achieved this milestone under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Minister for Higher Education, Ms. Sakeena Masood Itoo. Her consistent reviews and directives that the admission process be conducted transparently, strictly on merit, and as per student convenience, gave the Department clear direction and confidence.
Decisive leadership by Shri Ram Niwas Sharma (IAS), Commissioner/Secretary, Higher Education Department, ensured the admission timeline remained on schedule throughout. His confidence in the Directorate empowered the team to fulfill its mandate and deliver these visible outcomes.
The dedication of college Principals, Admission coordinators, and verifiers ensured seamless execution on campus. Ultimately, strong student feedback regarding the quality teaching imparted by our hard-working faculty served as the biggest draw for prospective applicants—far outperforming traditional publicity.
Similar to the procedure adopted in the previous session, the Phase-II of admissions, against leftover seats, will open for candidates qualifying the biannual/supplementary examination at the higher secondary level as their results are expected to be declared in the coming days. The schedule will be notified separately upon declaration of results, and candidates are advised to monitor the Centralised Admission Portal, jkadmissions.in, for updates. (JKNS)