Over 8,000 students have availed of Internet facility, provided by the Srinagar administration, in past three weeks to register for various competitive examinations and access other academic information, the Jammu and Kashmir government said on Friday.
The prominent exams for which students were facilitated in making registration included the GATE, the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) NET and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test, a government spokesperson said here.
The Internet facility was also used by students for filling admission forms and making applications for scholarships at national and international institutions, the spokesman said.
"In the last three weeks, over 8,000 students and aspirants have availed of the Internet facility the Srinagar administration has made available at the Tourist Reception Centre, Srinagar, to register for different kinds of academic and professional examinations," he said.
The users also included students who needed to know their results or download admit cards for different examinations at the local and national levels, he added.
General Internet facility has been shut down here since August 5 when the Centre announced the decision to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.
The government has set up six terminals with operators at the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) to provide Internet facility.
The administration has also made the Internet facility available at the National Informatics Centre (NIC) at Srinagar DC office where e-tendering facilities are being provided to contractors and some 400 users have benefitted from it this month, the government spokesperson said.
The Internet facility at the NIC, where about 20 terminals have been activated for the purpose, is also being accessed by all district and divisional level departments.
Over 850 users including contractors and employees of about 50 government departments have accessed the facility there, the spokesman said.
The Internet facilities at both these locations are being operated under the supervision of the Additional Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Krishan Sidha.
The facilities are open and available to users from 8 am to 9 pm at TRC Srinagar and from 10 am to 7 pm at NIC at DC Office Srinagar.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has directed officials concerned to ensure full facilitation for all students and aspirants approaching them.