Indian Army organises free CLAT coaching classes for youths in Kashmir

The Indian Army has organised free-of-cost coaching classes to help the youth of Kashmir prepare for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

The two-and-a-half-month-long classes will be organised for the aspirants at Qaziabad Institution of Education, Karalgund, in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

What is the aim of the coaching classes?

According to the Indian Army, the coaching classes aim to help the region's underprivileged students in their education and prepare them for the upcoming CLAT examination, which is scheduled on December 18, 2022.

Image: ANI

A total of 21 students including nine girls are attending this coaching capsule at the Qaziabad Educational Institute. Owner and co-organiser of the institute Ashiq Hussian Lone informed the complete course is being provided to the students free of cost. "We provide coaching to Classes 11, 12, medical and the foundation course for Class 10th. The complete course is free of cost. We aim to make the students worthy enough of getting into the top universities in the country,” stated Lone.

The selection process for the students to attend the classes was conducted very stringently and extensively. As per reports, it included a screening process, preliminary tests and personal interviews. Moreover, the CLAT tutorial comprises afternoon classes with a duration of three hours, including a series of tests every week. Seven teachers and a coordinator, whose job is to mentor and monitor the students, make up the core group of the faculty.

Image: ANI

Meanwhile, students from the valley lauded the efforts undertaken by the Indian Army to educate the younger generation. They additionally appealed to the Indian Army to organise such tutorials in the future for the engagement of youth.

"We are getting the opportunity to prepare for the CLAT exam. Many poor students are also benefitting from this. We are very thankful to the government for providing us with this opportunity,” said Syed Faheem Geelani, one of the students benefiting from the army’s initiative.

Another student, Mohsin Amreen added, “If we would have gone to any private coaching centre, we would have to pay Rs 30,000. But here we are getting to prepare for the CLAT examination free of cost. We are very thankful to the Indian Army for organising this.”

The Indian Army was thanked for the initiative and was further requested by the locals to continue organising such classes to motivate the Kashmiri students to progress while promoting education in the Valley.

Hearts and Minds

The official website of the Indian Army states that the Army has been long following the policy of providing a healing touch to the insurgency-affected parts of the country under its ‘Hearts and Minds’ strategy while dealing toughly with insurgent groups.

Moreover, the website’s sub-page detailing the ethics by which the Indian Army’s Northern Command functions, states that the ‘Awaam’ or the general population of Kashmir is the centre of gravity of operations conducted by the Army and winning their hearts and minds is vital to isolate them from militancy. Moreover, it's an attempt to wean them away from secessionist elements and the influence of terrorists. The army’s famous Chinar Corps (XV corps), headquartered at Srinagar, functions under the Northern Command.

Additionally, the Command’s sub-conventional doctrine termed the ‘Iron fist in Velvet Glove’ summarises its policy of calibrating a response when dealing with insurgencies/terrorism while upholding the values of human rights.