Student exchange programme between J&K, UP cancelled after reports of assault, violence

The exchange of students between Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas of Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi and Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri as part of an integration programme came to an abrupt end months ahead of schedule when they were sent back to their parent schools on Friday after the visiting pupils were allegedly assaulted by residents of the host institute in the Union Territory, The Indian Express reported.

20 students from Jhansi alleged that their counterparts at JNV, Kotranka, in Rajouri district assaulted some of them following a heated exchange.

Following a charged atmosphere on the campus, the school management on Thursday decided to end the one-year programme and sent back all the guest students to Jhansi only after two months.

At JNV, Jhansi, the situation turned violent when students, on hearing of the alleged assault of their schoolmates, staged a protest and allegedly tried to attack the 18 guest students of class 9 from J&K, a school staff member said.

The students from J&K were also sent back to their parent school on Friday morning, the report said.