From streets to exams: Kashmir's youth rewire aspirations after militancy decline

Srinagar: Not long ago, summer in Kashmir meant protest calendars, shutdowns and young men on the streets. Today, the crowds have shifted — from protest sites to examination halls.

Across Srinagar and district towns, coaching centres preparing students for UPSC, JKPSC, NEET and other competitive exams are witnessing a steady surge in enrolment. From civil services to medicine and engineering, a growing number of young Kashmiris are investing time and effort in structured career paths.

“This is the most visible shift we have seen in years,” says a Srinagar-based coaching institute owner. “Students are more focused, more disciplined, and thinking long-term.”

The numbers reflect this change. In the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, 16 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir qualified, matching one of the highest tallies from the region in recent years. The consistency in selections over the past few years points to a steady pipeline of aspirants entering India’s top administrative services.

Medical coaching has seen a similar boom. NEET preparation centres in Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag report full batches, with many students opting for repeat attempts to improve scores — a trend that was far less common a decade ago.

This transformation comes alongside a sharp decline in local militant recruitment. From around 200 local recruits in 2018, the number has dropped to single digits in two years back and almost nil in last one year, according to official estimates. Security officials attribute this to sustained counter-insurgency efforts, tighter surveillance and the dismantling of militant networks.

But on the ground, the change is also social.

Police and paramilitary recruitment drives now draw thousands of applicants, with young men lining up for physical tests from early morning. Recruitment rallies continue to see strong participation, even from areas that once witnessed unrest.

Prof Gul Wani, former head of Department of Political Science at University of Kashmir, describes this as a shift toward “aspirational stability,” where young people are choosing predictable career paths over uncertain alternatives.

The contrast with the 2008–2018 period is stark, he said. The 2016 unrest, in particular, saw large numbers of youth drawn into cycles of protest and confrontation. Today, many from that generation — and those younger — are focused on exams, results and job notifications.

Yet, rising aspiration is running up against structural limits.

Recruitment for Class III and Class IV government jobs — once a key employment avenue — has declined sharply, pushing more candidates toward highly competitive exams like civil services, banking and medicine. The result is intense competition, with thousands vying for a limited number of posts.

Coaching centres have mushroomed to meet demand, but affordability remains a concern, especially for students from poor families. Experts also caution that the heavy tilt toward government employment may limit diversification into private enterprise.

Still, for many young Kashmiris, the choice is straightforward.

“After years marked by uncertainty, a government job — or a professional degree — offers stability, dignity and upward mobility. Families increasingly see education as the safest and most reliable investment, Prof Wani said.

Officials view this shift as a key factor behind the decline in militancy. “With fewer local recruits and a shrinking support base, the ecosystem that once sustained insurgency has weakened considerably, a senior police officer told DH.

What is unmistakable, however, is the change in direction.

Kashmir’s youth, once defined in national imagination by images of confrontation, are increasingly being shaped by ambition. The Valley’s story, it seems, is being rewritten — not on the streets, but in classrooms, coaching centres and examination halls.