23,655. That was the number of graduates from J&K's government degree colleges (GDCs) in 2023-24. By 2024-25 it was 21,153, and by 2025-26 it was 18,312. Greater Kashmir, reporting official data on October 12, calls it a decline of nearly 23 per cent; our own arithmetic puts the two-year drop at about 22.6%. (File photo: Government Degree College, Doda.)
The district picture
| District | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jammu | 5,930 | 4,206 | 3,906 |
| Udhampur | 1,716 | 1,054 | 895 |
| Rajouri | 1,593 | 799 | 728 |
| Kathua | 121 | 1,053 | 1,001 |
| Ramban | 22 | not given | 205 |
| Srinagar | 4,190 | 4,002 | 3,352 |
Jammu district's count fell by roughly a third (5,930 to 3,906). Kathua and Ramban moved the other way, though the report does not explain why, and the starting figures for both were unusually small.
Why? The report does not say
The article gives no cause for the decline, so we will not guess. Graduate numbers also lag admissions by years, and the colleges are in the middle of the switch to the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP) under NEP 2020, which can change when students finish. Treat the trend as a signal to ask questions, not a verdict.
What the committee proposes
The government has formed a committee to rationalise subjects and introduce industry-aligned, skill-based programmes. It recommends a programme-wise review of enrolment in all GDCs, a cluster-based academic model, one-year postgraduate programmes for eligible FYUGP graduates in colleges with adequate facilities, and new programmes in AI, Data Science, Cyber Security and Remote Sensing, mainly in colleges around Jammu and Srinagar. These are recommendations, not announced courses.
The Higher Education Department also said no consolidated, standardised course-wise employability rate exists for GDC, university and cluster-university graduates, adding that outcomes vary by course and institution.
What it means for you
If you are choosing a college this year, ask each department for its own placement, further-study and competitive-exam outcomes, since no UT-wide figure exists. For related reading, see our report on demand-driven subjects.
Source: Greater Kashmir, 12 October 2026.
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