Jamia Millia Islamia has postponed the university admission tests that were initially scheduled on May 10 and 11, 2025, for applicants from Jammu and Kashmir, considering the prevailing security and logistical issues in the region. The central university said that this special provision has been made so that aspirants from the conflict-ridden Union Territory are not denied a level playing field to appear in life-altering exams.
The decision has come as many districts in Jammu and Kashmir are still facing restrictions, school shutdowns, and mobility problems amid the latest uptick in border tensions. While admission tests will proceed as scheduled for students from outside India, the university will conduct a special round of entrance exams only for applicants from Jammu and Kashmir. New dates for the postponed exams are to be announced shortly.
“This move has been taken in the interest of students from Jammu and Kashmir who are not in a position to appear for the entrance exams because of the prevailing situation,” a Jamia Millia Islamia spokesperson said. “Special arrangements are being done so that they are given an equal and fair opportunity.”
The entrance test process at Jamia Millia Islamia, which started on April 26, will continue until May 31, 2025. The university conducts a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and certificate programs, and the admissions process attracts tens of thousands of candidates from all over India, including affected and rural areas.
Jamia Millia Islamia admission test: What caused the delay for J&K students?
Jamia Millia Islamia had received an urgent appeal last week from the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, seeking help from the Union Ministry of Education and the university administration. National convenor Nasir Khuehami backed the appeal and pointed out the risks and hardships faced by students in reaching test centres.
“The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway — the only feasible route for many students — has become congested, perilous, and was recently closed because of landslides following heavy rainfalls,” Khuehami explained. “Many students are stranded or cannot travel beyond Banihal. For them, these are not ordinary exams — they are doorways to a better future. Nerves are high, and their safety is in jeopardy.”
The organization explained that it was not demanding special treatment, but merely a fair chance. “We don’t demand special treatment, just a separate round or delay. It’s fairness,” Khuehami said in a statement.
After the appeal, Jamia Millia Islamia moved quickly to meet J\&K students’ needs. The proactive action of the university has been hailed across the board as a humane and intelligent decision in light of the current situation.
Apart from rescheduling, Jamia Millia Islamia also reopened its portal for online admission to 24 academic programmes for the 2025–26 academic session. The online process will continue up to June 10, giving a second chance to aspirants who had previously missed the first deadline.
“The extension is especially to benefit students from distant, rural, and disadvantaged parts of the country, who might have missed the initial window for reasons of various constraints,” the university stated in an official announcement. Notably, students who have already applied for these courses are not required to reapply.
This step is a part of Jamia Millia Islamia’s larger initiative to provide equal access to quality education and enhance participation from underrepresented areas. The university, a core institution under the Ministry of Education, remains a favorite among students pursuing education in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, law, and journalism.
As border tensions continue to impact various Indian states — including sections of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Ladakh — schools in these regions have gone online or stayed closed to protect students. The crisis has led a number of universities to rethink exam timetables or consider hybrid models of evaluation.
Jamia Millia Islamia’s move fits this wider trend of adaptive academic administration in times of uncertainty. Educational professionals have welcomed the university for acting promptly and for acknowledging the various kinds of challenges students are confronted with in areas of conflict.
At the same time, representatives across the education spectrum have urged other central universities to emulate similar flexible measures when regional interruptions hinder students’ scholarly pursuits.
Jammu and Kashmir students have traditionally been confronted with huge challenges in pursuing higher education. Travel restrictions, regular curfews, internet shutdowns, and harsh weather conditions frequently compound the already tense process of preparing for competitive entrance exams. In this regard, Jamia’s move is being viewed as an inclusive and compassionate gesture towards marginalised student groups.
Being one of India’s oldest and most revered universities, Jamia Millia Islamia has always been a forward-thinking institution that holds diversity, equity, and merit in high esteem. The latest move to postpone admission tests further speaks volumes about its adherence to these principles.
The university administration will be issuing a new schedule for the J\&K-specific entrance exams in the near future. Candidates are requested to keep an eye on the official university website for updates and notifications.
With reopenings of admissions and the independent entrance tests for Jammu and Kashmir candidates, Jamia Millia Islamia is trying to ensure that no candidate is left behind because of reasons beyond their control — a feeling that resonates profoundly with the university’s founding philosophy.
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