SKUAST-K suspends forestry classes, orders hostel vacation by October 16

The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has suspended all academic activities at its Faculty of Forestry and ordered students to vacate their hostels. The directive, issued on October 15, 2026, requires students from J&K and Ladakh residing in the Pine Boys’ and Girls’ hostels to vacate their rooms by 10 am on October 16, 2026.

This decision comes after students intensified their protests on campus, which included locking gates and administration blocks, and preventing faculty from using rooms. The suspension affects undergraduate, MSc, and PhD courses, besides first-year undergraduate classes.

Reasons for the Suspension

The university’s decision to suspend academic activities stems from the escalation of student protests. According to the Dean Faculty of Forestry, students had been staging peaceful protests inside the campus for several days, to which the university did not initially respond with counter-measures. However, the situation escalated when students locked the campus gates, prevented faculty from accessing their rooms, and also locked the administration block.

The Dean Faculty of Forestry stated, “For the past few days, the students were staging peaceful protest inside the campus and we did not counter them. But today they locked the gates and did not allow the faculty to use the rooms the students locked the administration block as well.” The university had previously warned students that action would be taken if they resorted to such disruptive actions. The Dean further explained, “We warned them that action will be taken against them if they resort to such action but they did not refrain. We thought to suspend the classes to avoid any action is taken on the students.”

Student Demands and University Response

The ongoing protests by Forestry students are centered on a demand for exclusive eligibility for direct recruitment to Forester and other Forestry-related exams. They seek that only candidates holding a dedicated professional degree in Forestry be considered for these positions.

The university had initially extended support to the students and conducted counseling sessions in an attempt to resolve the situation and encourage them to call off their strike. However, these efforts did not lead to the cessation of protests. The escalation of protests also led to complaints from foreign and national students who reported being prevented from attending classes by the local students. The Dean Faculty of Forestry noted, “They have nothing to do with the demand and protest of local students. Foreign and national students even complained that they want to attend the classes but are not allowed by the local students.”

Hostel Vacation and Consequences

The order, issued by the Dean Faculty of Forestry under Order No. AU/FoF/2026/3837 dated October 15, 2026, explicitly directs students from J&K and Ladakh residing in the Pine Boys’ and Girls’ hostels to vacate their rooms. Hostel wardens have been instructed to ensure both hostels are vacated by the stipulated deadline of 10 am on October 16, 2026.

The university has warned that any violation of this order will invite serious consequences under the rules. The suspension of academic activities for undergraduate, MSc, and PhD courses will remain in effect until further orders are issued by the university administration.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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