Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Nov 5: Kashmir University’s much-hyped e-Governance portal, designed to simplify student access to vital services like admit cards, registration, fee payments and others has remained inaccessible to the public for nine consecutive months, sparking anger and frustration among students.
When students attempted to access the portal (https://egov.uok.edu.in/) on Wednesday, the page displayed a familiar line: “e-Gov Services are available on University Intranet only. Please visit IT Centres at Govt Degree Colleges and University of Kashmir.”
The message, unchanged for over nine months, has become a symbol of inefficiency for many.
“They call it e-Governance, but it works only inside their own campus. What kind of online system is that?” said a B.Tech student from a private college.
Several other students said that the portal’s prolonged shutdown has disrupted form submissions, fee payments and examination processes.
“Every time we ask the college authorities, they tell us to visit the IT section in person. It defeats the whole purpose of an online portal,” said another student.
The student added that it was not the colleges’ fault, as they too rely on the University’s IT system. “The University must wake up from its sleep and do something for the students at least after nine months.”
The issue stems from the portal being hosted on the University’s Intranet, accessible only through campus or government college networks, effectively locking out thousands of students across districts.
Students said that because the portal functions only within the University’s internal network, those studying in affiliated colleges or outside Srinagar are unable to access it. “It forces us to visit colleges in person, making the whole idea of online services meaningless,” a student said.
“We are living in 2025, but they are running a system that feels like it’s from 2005,” another frustrated student remarked, adding that “even small coaching centres have better management software.”
Repeated attempts to reach the University’s IT department for comments were unsuccessful.
